


Achilles Come Down

by storiesandthings



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Bokuaka with a healthy splash of others, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Music, M/M, Mental Instability, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, akaashi is an art boy, fluff at first, roommate suga and oikawa, this will get worse before it gets better, will it be a happy ending or not who's to say
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:21:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28580421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesandthings/pseuds/storiesandthings
Summary: Bokuto didn't mean to run into Akaashi. Akaashi didn't mean to get in his way. They're both glad they did, especially once they keep meeting, and neither can seem to forget about the other.In which Akaashi is an art student with a crippling desire to be perfect and no inspiration, and Bokuto is finally recovered, trying to live his life in the best way he can think of. Love is inevitable, but what happens when love isn't enough and too much all at the same time?
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 18
Kudos: 49





	1. the first incident

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I hope you're as excited for this as I am, and get ready for the long haul! I got inspiration for this story after listening to the song achilles come down, please check it out. I'm obsessed with it and once I thought of this idea I literally could NOT give it up. I will most likely be creating a playlist, or at least adding some songs for each chapter, which hopefully you will enjoy.
> 
> This is my first bokuaka fic, so please give it some love! I don't know how I've waited this long considering i am OBSESSED with them, they are my heart and soul, but I'm really excited to finally be doing that
> 
> IMPORTANT NOTE: there will be eventual trigger warnings. I have not included them in the tags yet because it is an eventual process, but definitely check the notes at the beginning of the chapters as this goes on. For now, simply beware of negative self imaging, if that is a trigger for some of you, but for awhile it will be fairly harmless
> 
> Sorry for the long note! hope you enjoy the first chapter :)

There was only so long Akaashi could stare at someone’s dick without getting bored. He appreciated the human body. He did, with its alluring combination of delicate curves and sharp edges, and he thoroughly enjoyed seeing that particular area, at least with the right company. That wasn’t the issue. In all honesty, it wasn’t the dick either, or the body attached to it. The man before him was clearly well endowed, and his body wasn’t half bad either, chiseled and smooth enough that Akaashi couldn’t locate any flaws, even after countless classes.

Akaashi sighed, closing his eyes slowly. The canvas before him looked complete, and an outsider might have observed it to be beautiful. It captured the model in his natural state, poised with a hand resting beneath his chin and eyes narrowed on something in the distance, presented before a neutral background. Technically, there was nothing wrong. He finished the linework weeks ago, and even the majority of his coloring and shading swiftly followed. For the past two classes, not much changed on the painting besides swipes of color here and there. Today was the last day the model would be present, so in some retrospects Akaashi’s progress was good, but he knew better.

The only beauty one could claim would be the precision of his lines or the accuracy of his color palette. In reality, his work looked empty. No sparkle or shine of life. He wasn’t sure why. Back in high school, his paintings captured nothing but emotions. It was the reason he was accepted into such a prestigious art school, or so he figured. It couldn’t have been his technical skills, which drastically improved since then. Back then, accuracy and precision were irrelevant. All that mattered were the thoughts in his head and the images that he built from them. He forced them out as if that would magically make sense of them. It didn't work.

He applied on a whim, not expecting much to come from it. Art wasn’t something he treated as a serious path in life, and his family felt the same. He snorted. They still felt the same, which they religiously brought up whenever he returned home, an increasingly rare event now that he had begun the final year of his degree. Art was something he used to escape, to pour all his thoughts and fears into when everything became too much. Now Akaashi was so obsessed with making each painting perfect he failed to spare a moment to consider if he could feel anything.

_Or maybe it’s because you’re afraid nothing you feel is worth sharing._

Akaashi looked up as his professor moved to the front of the class. The model stretched, cracking his neck before pulling on his clothes. He winked at one of the girls nearest to him, who blushed and giggled, ducking behind her canvas. Akaashi rolled his eyes. Sure, the man was attractive, but Akaashi couldn’t fathom the appeal behind his perfectly styled hair and fake smile. Maybe it was the affirmation of someone good looking showing interest that caused her to act that way. He could understand that, but pursuing it? He shuddered internally. No thanks.

After a few quick reminders of their upcoming deadline, the class was dismissed, the monotonous drone of his professor transforming to the quiet chatter of the students cleaning up their things. Akaashi enjoyed the noise. He didn’t partake in any conversations—that would require him to have friends—but there was something very soothing about it that always calmed him down. The back and forths of absolutely no significance, just the joy of talking to another person. It was so very human. If there was anything humans could be counted on to do, it was talking to each other, no matter the situation. Well, they fought and fucked just as much as they talked, but it was all borne of the same desire. To be remembered. To have importance. 

_Not that anyone would ever want to talk to you, would they? Try saying anything worthwhile in your life, and someone might finally find you interesting._

Packing up his paints and taking down his easel, he walked over to the sink, rinsing his brushes until the water ran clear. The process was painstaking sometimes, but Akaashi didn’t have much of a choice. Unlike most of the students in his class, he put his supplies to work within an inch of their lives. Paint, brushes, charcoal, canvases—all of it cost far more than should be humanly possible. Although his parents never vocalized their disdain for his choice of career path, asking for money to buy new supplies would be tempting their anger. That wasn’t a risk Akaashi was willing to make. Better to take the extra time than deal with them.

Once clean, he tucked them into his bag with the paints, slinging it over his shoulder. The canvas was already dry (unsurprising considering the limited additions Akaashi added during class), so he was able to slide it into his portfolio without worry. Weaving in and out of the still chattering students, he strode towards the exit, letting out a loose breath as he broke through the crowd. His classes finished by mid-afternoon on Tuesday, the sun still bright in the sky as he exited the building. 

Akaashi liked these days. He lived in Tokyo since he was a boy, so navigating crowds was nothing new to him. Still, there was something special about the afternoon in the city, especially on campus, when only a few people littered the paths. He could breathe freely. It was especially nice by the arts campus, with its winding paths through tree-filled parks. He didn’t have to worry about apologizing every time he bumped into someone, or wonder if the man sitting on the bench opposite him was glaring at him in particular, or if he always looked like that.

_Of course he was glaring at you, with all the bags you’re lugging across campus, and the space you take up. Everyone else was trying to walk too, but that didn’t matter to you, did it?_

“Get back here Bokuto, or I swear to god I’m going to kill you!” A voice cut through the quiet of the park and Akaashi jerked his head up. He saw a glimpse of what looked to be silver and black hair before a large body was barrelling into him, nearly knocking him to the ground. He staggered backward, clutching his bag to his side, before a strong hand grabbed his arm, dragging him upright.

Akaashi looked up, straight into the eyes of the most stunning man he had ever seen. His golden eyes were wide as they scanned Akaashi up and down, giving Akaashi time to make his inspection. The man before him was tall and muscular if the definition on his bare arms was any indicator, which matched the athletic shorts and sleeveless shirt he wore. He was handsome by anyone’s standards, but that wasn’t even the most intriguing part.

Cocking his head, Akaashi narrowed his eyes on the other man’s hair. It was silver and spiked straight upwards, with black hints peeking out around his roots. How did it do that? Surely gravity would be forced to get involved and deter such behavior, yet it remained in its shape, even as the man reached up rubbing the back of his head.

“Sorry about that,” he said, letting go of Akaashi’s arm and looking back to his face. “I turned around for a second to see if Kuroo was behind me and boom! You’re there! I swear I’m not usually this clumsy. Well, that’s not true, just yesterday I tripped up the stairs and spilled my coffee everywhere, but that doesn’t even count since no one else was around to see and-”

It might have been something he saw in Akaashi’s face, but he cut himself off, clamping his mouth shut before looking behind him. Akaashi followed his line of sight, watching as another man he had never seen before turned the corner just past the small grove of trees at the end of the path. Bokuto whipped his head back at the sight, eyes widening.

“That’s the friend I mentioned. He’s not very happy with me right now, so I have to be on my way now, but it was really nice to meet you! My name is Bokuto Kotaro by the way.” He smiled brightly bouncing on his feet lightly. “I hope I see you around campus again sometime. You seem really cool!”

He took off as quickly as he came, waving behind him and leaving Akaashi alone, wondering what had just happened. His friend, Kuroo apparently, ran past a few moments later, shouting obscenities after Bokuto. Akaashi couldn’t see him very well as he passed, but he appeared just as tall and athletic as Bokuto had, with unkempt black hair to match. Clutching his bags to his chest, Akaashi watched as they continued to run until they finally turned the corner, out of sight.

Despite the man’s friendly nature, he spoke too quickly for Akaashi to get a word in, so he hadn’t been able to figure out why he was being chased. Not that it mattered. With this big of a campus, it was doubtful Akaashi would ever see them again, but he couldn’t help but wonder. They had only spoken for a few moments, but the excitement in the way he spoke and the smile that shone out of him was already ingrained in Akaashi’s memory.

Akaashi’s lips shifted into a smile. “Nice to meet you, Bokuto-san.”

He was running late. Akaashi hated running late. There was nothing more awkward than trying to squeeze into a class after it already started. The professor stopped talking, the entire class turns, everyone’s silently judging you and everything you’ve ever done in your life.

They’ll be judging you. You don’t even look like you belong! I bet they can tell just from looking at you that you’re shit at art. And disrupting the class? How disrespectful. You’re despicable.

Maybe he just shouldn’t show up. That would probably end better. Akaashi hesitated for a second, almost stopping in the middle of the street before he continued walking. No. That’d be foolish. His professor was not the kind to make fun of him for being a few minutes late. Anyway, he couldn’t miss class. Today was the deadline for their live model portrait, and not turning it in wasn’t an option.

It was the reason he was late in the first place. Akaashi had stayed up the majority of the night, staring at the painting for hours. He laid out his brushes and paints, everything perfectly in place, then did nothing. He just didn’t know what to do. Instead of fixing it, or restarting, or doing anything, Akaashi spent the whole night staring at it until he fell asleep in his chair. It was only by luck that he woke up early enough to be remotely on time for his class, but the painting still looked the same.

Whatever. It surely wasn’t his best work, but he’d still be able to turn it in and receive a good enough grade to continue in the class. All that mattered was that he figure out his stupid issue and get back to making something that was worthwhile.

_Sure, keep telling yourself that’s what’s going to happen. A pretty little lie to make yourself feel better. Is that really what you deserve? To feel better?_

Akaashi stopped in front of the building, checking the time quickly on his phone. The class was just starting, so as long as he moved quickly, he could sneak into class before anyone noticed. It’d be fine. Pulling his backpack higher, he started to jog, clutching his portfolio to his chest. The walls were empty, giving him plenty of space to move, so he ran faster, breathing heavily as he finally reached the room. Once outside the door, he froze, arms falling to his side as his mouth dropped open.

Everyone in his class stood crowded around the door, peering into the room as loud shouts echoed into the hallway. At first, all he could hear was a professor yelling at someone inside the room, until he heard another, much less angry voice, responding. He couldn’t place it, but the voice sounded somewhat familiar. Moving around his classmates, he shifted to give himself a better view of the classroom. 

Akaashi almost didn’t believe his eyes when he finally saw what was causing the commotion. On one side of the classroom stood the professor who occupied the classroom in the hour previously, waving her arms animatedly as she paced back and forth. In the center of the room, where the model usually sat, stood the same spiky-haired man Akaashi had seen the week before. Bokuto.

He seemed to be amid an apology, which Akaashi figured would have seemed more sincere if he wasn’t half-naked, wrapped in what looked to be Roman-era dress. Half of his chest was bare, while the other was concealed in a sheet-like fabric that snaked around the rest of his body. He bowed hastily, tripping and nearly falling over the extra material that pooled around his feet.

“Sorry I- Ah- I didn’t realize that was part of the job! When I read the description I swear it said bring your own toga, not just-” Bokuto’s voice was cut off as he fell, landing face down on the platform. 

Somehow, this made the professor even angrier, swinging her arm to point out the door. “I don’t care what you thought, I want you out! Don’t ever think of trying to model for us again, you’re an absolute disgrace in this department! What kind of idiot thinks part of the models job would be to stage a reenactment!”

“Again, I am so, so, sorry about that,” Bokuto said, staggering upright and gathering the fabric of his toga. He hoisted it up around his waist, practically sprinting turning towards the door. “I promise, it won’t happen again!”

“You’re right it won’t happen again! If I see your face near this building again I swear I’ll call security before you can even blink!” Her voice chased Bokuto out of the room, Akaashi’s classmates clearing a way for his exit. His cheeks were red, from yelling or exertion Akaashi wasn’t sure, but a sheepish look fell onto his face. Still, he kept his head up high. That surprised Akaashi the most. If he was in that situation, whatever the situation was, he’d be hiding his face as much as he possibly could and escape immediately.

Bokuto didn’t seem to care. He was apologetic, sure, but that seemed to be centered more on the professor than embarrassment about the students that surrounded him. Before Akaashi could look away, Bokuto turned, lighting up into a smile when he noticed Akaashi. 

“Hey, hey, hey! Do you remember me?” He shouted, waving excitedly. Oh god, no. Heat rushed to Akaashi's face as the attention of his entire class turned to him, and he swallowed nervously. 

Earlier, Akaashi thought arriving late to class would be the worst possible thing that could happen to him today. Turns out, he was wrong. It could be much, much worse. “Hi, Bokuto-san.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto and Akaashi meet again, and Akaashi's neighbors are introduced

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm gonna be honest, i love this chapter. hope you enjoy

“You remember my name!” Bokuto’s voice rang through the hall as he made his way towards Akaashi. Akaashi wasn’t sure if he was always that loud, or if it was just a coincidence. He feared the worst. The surrounding students continued to stare at him for a moment, before beginning to trickle into the classroom, now that the professor had calmed down. 

“Of course I did. It’s not every day I get ran into by a man running for his life,” Akaashi replied. He resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow at the other man. What was he doing? And what was he doing here of all places?

Stopping in front of Akaashi, Bokuto fidgeted with his toga again, attempting to make it lay correctly on his shoulder. Half of his chest and his arms were completely bare, revealing broad shoulders and defined muscles. Akaashi felt his cheeks warm again, this time for an entirely different reason. When they first met, Akaashi noticed Bokuto was attractive, but seeing him like this was almost too much. He was stunning. Akaashi couldn’t place it, but there was something in his smile that seemed so light, so full of life. There were a lot of things Akaashi didn’t know about himself, but he knew he’d never looked like that before.

“I was looking for you, actually,” Bokuto said, scratching the back of his head.

Akaashi started, jerking his head back up to Bokuto’s face. “Why were you looking for me?” He decided not to ask about his attire. That seemed like the kind of story with a long explanation, and Akaashi didn’t have the time to ask. Bokuto was probably busy himself.

“I never got your name. The other day, I mean. I was too busy running away from my friend to ask.”

He smiled, and Akaashi felt the urge to smile back at him. He ignored it. “My name is Akaashi Keiji.”

“Akaashi!” Akaashi raised his eyes at the lack of honorific, but he couldn’t bring himself to mention it. Not when Bokuto seemed so excited just to know his name. “It’s nice to meet you, Akaashi.”

Akaashi nodded, flicking his eyes over Bokuto’s shoulder. By now, the rest of his class was almost entirely in the room, and his professor was nowhere in sight. Shifting his weight, Akaashi looked down, clutching his portfolio to his chest once again. Unless he wanted a repeat of earlier, he needed to go into the classroom now and hope no one paid any more attention to him. “It was good to see you Bokuto-san, but I have to go to class now.”

He gave a final nod to Bokuto, before striding past him towards the direction of his classroom. In all honesty, he didn’t want to say goodbye, but it’s not like there was anything else he could say. Bokuto was simply a stranger, and much too exciting for Akaashi. Akaashi wasn’t fun. He knew that—he’d known it since high school when no one laughed at his subtle jokes, and in college, when he avoided parties and bars in favor of painting at home. Someone like him was nothing compared to Bokuto, who had been more interesting in the two times they’d met than anyone else in his life.

“Wait!” Akaashi turned at the shout and Bokuto hurried over to him. “I know you have a class to go to, but I came here to see if you’d like to hang out sometime. I know we only met for a few minutes but you’re gorgeous, and you seemed really cool in the park with your art supplies, and you smiled at me running from Kuroo. It was great. I’m not crazy by the way, it was just that I stole some of Kuroo’s food since he didn’t get any for me, so he was mad and decided it would be a good idea to chase me into a college campus, which wasn’t a good decision, but-”

Bokuto sighed, cutting himself off before looking back to Akaashi. His cheeks were flushed red, but he walked over to Akaashi, pulling out his phone from somewhere in his outfit. “I’m rambling. I do that a lot.”

Akaashi didn’t know what to do. He’d never been approached by someone like this. The way he did it too—calling Akaashi gorgeous and cool—was entirely inaccurate. He knew Bokuto wouldn’t think that once they saw each other again. If they saw each other again. Even worse, he knew nothing about the man before him. He could be a crazed serial killer, or a stalker, or someone who slept with socks on. Logistically, it wasn’t a good idea.

Yet Akaashi couldn’t stop thinking about when they first met. The way Bokuto caught Akaashi when they ran into each other, making sure he wasn’t the one who fell. His spiky hair that Akaashi kept thinking about running his hair through. Most importantly, the way Bokuto was so filled with life, even when he was being screamed at by a random professor.

There hadn’t been many things Akaashi chose to do in his life. For the most part, he tried to stay under the radar. It’s not possible to disappoint anyone if you don’t do anything you can fail at. Art school was an exception, one that turned out pretty good, his current struggle aside. Maybe this could be an exception too. 

“Alright,” Akaashi said, accepting the offered phone. He typed in his phone number, adding his name to the contact, before handing it back over. “I’ll see you later then.”

Bokuto nodded vigorously, hopping on his toes. “I’ll text you in a bit! It was great to see you again Akaashi, I’m excited for next time.”

Akaashi didn’t respond, just waved behind him before hurrying into class. Most of his classmates were seated, but the woman from the previous class was still talking to his professor, waving her arms around angrily. He ignored them, as well as the few remaining eyes he could feel glued to his back, and sat down at his easel, pulling out his supplies. His professor began to talk, but he couldn’t focus, flipping his brush in this hand.

Luckily for Akaashi, they spent the class sketching and brainstorming for their next project, in which Akaashi did nothing. He couldn’t think, not of art anyway. When was he going to text? And what did he mean by hanging out?

_It’s just a joke. He doesn’t like you. Why would he? Think about it for a second before tripping over your ego. You don’t matter, anyone can see that. Figure out the real reason he’s talking to you, it’s certainly not because he likes you, of all people._

By the end of class, Akaashi completed nothing except a small sketch at the corner of his paper, resembling a certain golden eye and spiky-haired gentleman. It wasn’t until he left that his phone buzzed, alerting him of a text. He pulled it out, noticing a text from an unknown number.

**Unknown:** hi it’s Bokuto :)  
**Unknown:** i’m sure you realized that tho :p

Akaashi added the number to his contacts before it buzzed with another text.

**Bokuto:** are you free sometime this week?  
**Bokuto:** or next week, really. i’m not super busy besides mornings

Akaashi wasn’t sure exactly how to respond. He wanted to see Bokuto, that much he knew, but he’d just met the guy. No matter how attractive and nice he seemed, he could still be anyone. He hesitated for a moment, before typing a quick response

**Akaashi:** How about next week? I have a few tests coming up, so I’m busy until then.

He breathed out. That was good. This way he could build up the courage to see him, without seeming like a complete loser. At this point in the semester, most people were busy. Bokuto wouldn’t be surprised by the request.

**Bokuto:** great! sounds fun akaashi

Akaashi reached down to put his phone away before it buzzed again. Furrowing his eyebrows, he opened it again, seeing another message from Bokuto.

**Bokuto:** [Image Attached]  
**Bokuto:** i bought my own food this time, now i won’t run into anyone else

Attached was an image of Bokuto smiling as he held up a bowl of ramen. It looked like his friend, the one chasing him last time, was in the background, but Akaashi couldn’t tell for sure. Regardless, he appreciated it. Akaashi wasn’t one for sending pictures of himself, but he liked the reminder that Bokuto wasn’t some crazy person, and that he hadn’t just imagined the whole day happening. Akaashi sent a thumbs up in reply, before slipping his phone into his pocket. He still didn’t know why Bokuto was dressed up in his classroom earlier, but he resisted the urge to ask. They’d talk about it soon enough.

For the next few days, they exchanged texts daily, to Akaashi’s surprise. Texting was never Akaashi’s strong suit, although he found it easier to talk to people he didn’t know online. It made him freak out less, giving him more time to think up responses without worrying he was saying something wrong. Bokuto made it even easier. He liked to send pictures of things that happened to him during the day, and he never commented if Akaashi took a long time to respond. He didn’t even seem to care about Akaashi's short responses. 

Bokuto loved to talk about anything, Akaashi learned, and it was easiest to ask questions. He learned Bokuto graduated the year earlier, and was currently working at a veterinary clinic as an assistant. Animals were his favorite, especially owls, and he loved going on runs through the park to bird watch when he could. He played volleyball in high school and college, explaining his athletic appearance, which was something Akaashi had common with. Bokuto had been ecstatic when he heard, making Akaashi promise they would play together soon.

It was surprisingly easy to talk about himself as well. For almost every question Akaashi asked, Bokuto asked one in return, and seemed genuinely interested in the answer. He kept his answers shorter, unlike Bokuto’s string of texts, but not clipped like he wanted the conversation to end. He explained he was in art school, with a focus on painting and an interest in digital design. He talked about his love for nature and the outdoors. The last thing Akaashi wanted to do was sound weird, so he didn’t go into much detail, but he mentioned his love for the sky, and the sun and stars. 

_Everything you say will sound weird to him, but if tricking yourself with this lie makes you happy, go ahead. The weak-willed prefer to be ignorant._

By the end of the week, Akaashi wished he hadn’t been so afraid to meet him. Although meeting up in person still filled him with a bit of dread, it wasn’t in concern that Bokuto was some crazy person. He wasn’t willing to rule out the possibility, but for the most part, Akaashi liked him. He was cool and fun and, well, seemed genuinely interested, if that was possible.

Pushing his bags higher up his arm, Akaashi shoved open the door to his apartment complex. Despite his ulterior motive in telling Bokuto he would be busy this week, it had been mostly true. He had a test for his art history class coming up and planned to spend most of the night working on it. In high school, he excelled in most of his subjects, but ever since beginning art school, spending hours reading out of a textbook had become more and more difficult. Nothing was quite as exciting when regular homework was working on a painting.

“Akaashi! Hold the door!” Akaashi turned, looking down the street to see his neighbor, Sugawara, waving as he jogged down the street. He slowed to a stop next to Akaashi, pushing the door open and gesturing for Akaashi to walk in first. “How are you? I haven’t seen you for a few days.”

“I’ve been well,” Akaashi said, walking in ahead. “I’ve been busy with school, but it’s not too bad.”

“What about tonight? Any fun plans for your weekend?” 

“No, not tonight. Just homework and studying for me.”

Sugawara looked up at him, furrowing his eyebrows as they entered the elevator. Akaashi had known him for about two years, ever since he moved into the apartment. He and his roommate saw him moving in by himself and decided to help. They invited him to dinner, and then to watch a movie later in the week, then to get groceries, and before he knew it, they were friends. He liked Suga, with his warm eyes and kind smile, and he always made Akaashi feel comfortable.

Still, there was something about Suga that sometimes made Akaashi on edge. He was a good person, that was in question, but he got this look in his eyes like he knew too much. Akaashi didn’t like that. He tried to keep most of his life to himself, but Suga wasn’t one to just let something go. Once he put his mind to something, he almost always got it. Still, he never violated Akaashi’s trust or went too far, so it wasn’t something he ever got mad about.

“Why don’t you come over for dinner then? Daichi has to work late tonight, so it’s just me and the idiot. I could use the company.” He smiled again, stepping out of the elevator as it dinged for their floor. Akaashi opened his mouth to protest, but Suga cut him off before he could get started. “And don’t say you’re too busy, you have the whole weekend to work on homework. Live a little, have some fun.”

“Alright Sugawara, I’ll come. As long as you promise to do the cooking, and not Oikawa.”

As all demons come when they are summoned, the door to Suga’s apartment opened, revealing Oikawa, his roommate. He was wearing pajama pants with spaceships on them, and an old volleyball shirt, but he looked wide awake, his hair still perfectly done. Akaashi couldn’t think of a time when he didn’t look like that, except once when they got exceedingly drunk celebrating a promotion. “I heard voices! Talking about me, I’m assuming.”

“Just your terrible cooking skills,” Akaashi said, raising an eyebrow at the other man. 

He raised a hand to his heart as if he were wounded. “I am not a terrible cook! Just because I forgot some spices here and there does not mean I can’t make something.”

“Oikawa, I love you, and for the most part you’re a great roommate, but last time you tried to cook, you set the fire alarm off,” Suga said, agreeing with Akaashi.

“That was a misunderstanding!”

“The fire department showed up. They had to evacuate the entire building. That’s not just a misunderstanding.”

Akaashi followed Oikawa into the apartment as they bickered, taking off his shoes and shrugging off his bags at the entrance. Oikawa threw himself onto the couch, which appeared to be transformed into a cocoon of blankets, while Sugawara and Akaashi moved to the kitchen. He wasn’t usually very talented at cooking by himself, but he could follow directions pretty well, and Suga was a good teacher. He was patient, even with Oikawa, and that was a feat in itself. 

After cutting up the vegetables, there wasn’t much left for him to do but wait, so he sat down on the couch, pulling out his phone. He had felt it buzz while he was working, and smiled when he saw the alert.

**Bokuto:** MAJOR ALERT!!! JUST FOUND AN OWL OUTSIDE  
**Bokuto:** [Image Attached]  
**Bokuto:** look how cute it is!!!  
**Bokuto:** i almost ran right past it, but i stopped for some reason  
**Bokuto:** i think it was calling to me??? it must’ve been, right! how else would i know  
**Akaashi:** It kind of reminds me of you, actually  
**Akaashi:** Your owl senses were tingling.

He smiled. Setting his phone down, he grabbed one of Oikawa’s blankets, yanking it closer to him. Oikawa whined, trying to tug it back over, but Akaashi held fast to it, shaking his head. Sighing Oikawa let go. “Fine, you can have it, but we’re still watching my show.”

Akaashi was used to watching Oikawa’s space documentaries, so he shrugged, leaning back against the couch as he pulled the blanket to his chin. He loved living alone—there wasn’t any stress about having to work with a roommate, or having to keep things clean if he didn’t want to—but something was comforting about being in Oikawa and Suga’s apartment. It reminded him of home, or of what home should be.

Within half an hour the rest of the food was done. Grabbing a plate, Akaashi added a small amount to his plate before attempting to walk back to the couch. Before he could, Oikawa snorted, grabbing his arm. “Yeah, like you’re only going to eat that much. Have some more.”

“Let me pay for some of it, then,” Akaashi said, looking over to Suga. “And I don’t mean to you Oikawa, Suga was the one who made it.”

“You know you don’t need to pay us, Akaashi,” Suga frowned, gesturing to the food. “Eat more anyways. You’re looking skinny, you need to eat more if you want to have energy.”

“It’s not like he ever lets you pay him,” Oikawa drawled, falling back into the couch, his voice muffled as he ate. “It’s been two years, why would he start now.”

“Thank you for the meal,” Akaashi said, ignoring Oikawa. He learned ages ago that was the best way to deal with him. Tugging the blanket back up, he took a bite before responding to Bokuto. 

**Bokuto:** so you think i’m cute too?  
**Bokuto:** that sounds like what you said  
**Akaashi:** No, I said you look like an owl, nothing about being cute.  
**Bokuto:** akaashi! that’s not very nice :(

Blushing slightly, he continued to eat, setting his phone down. Of course, he thought Bokuto was cute, even a blind person would think so, but he didn’t want to make Bokuto uncomfortable. He hadn’t said anything about being interested in Akaashi, and right now they were just friends, and he didn’t want to ruin that before they even met.

_You’ll have plenty of time to ruin it once you meet. You won’t stop biting your nails and talking about the stupidest things and making him uncomfortable and you’ll probably make him hate you within a fe-_

Suga slammed his bowl down onto the coffee table, falling onto the couch in between Oikawa and Akaashi.

“Alright, spill,” he said, crossing his arms as he turned to face Akaashi.

“What do you mean?” Akaashi looked down at his food, wondering if he’d made a mistake in the meal.

Suga shook his head. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. You’ve been distracted since you got here, smiling at your phone all the time. That never happens. You rarely use your phone, and you sure as hell don’t smile at it.”

“You met someone, didn’t you.” Oikawa sat up, dropping his blankets to the ground as he knelt up on the couch, smirking. “That’s the only thing that would distract you from Suga’s cooking, you usually scarf it down like you’re a starving animal. It’s alarming, to be honest.”

Shooting Oikawa a look, Suga turned back to Akaashi. “I’m not saying you met someone, but it's obvious that something is distracting you. You know I’m not going to let it go, and if you don’t tell me, I’m going to let Oikawa do whatever he wants to find out.”

Suga smiled, and Akaashi was reminded of a wolf, just as it corners its prey. The last thing he wanted was to talk to them about Bokuto, especially when there wasn’t much of anything to talk about, but he didn’t see how he had much of a choice.

“I’m meeting with someone next week. I’ve been texting them for a few days. It’s not anything important and I don’t think it will be anything serious.”

Clapping his hands, Suga bounced up on the seat. “What’s their name? How did you meet? Who is this lucky girl?”

“Or boy,” Oikawa added, smirking as he leaned back into his seat. Akaashi shot him a glare. Being gay wasn’t something Akaashi tried to keep a secret now that was in college, but he didn’t exactly tell everyone, either. He told Oikawa a little over a year ago, during one of their frequent late nights alone when Suga first got together with his boyfriend, Daichi. It wasn’t a secret, but Oikawa made it his mission to make Akaashi as annoyed as possible, and bringing it up was a sure way to do that.

“I’m not going to tell you, not until I get to know him better. And, it’s not a date or anything, it’s just a friend.” They immediately started to complain, but Akaashi ignored them, rolling his eyes. “I’ll tell you after I meet up with him next week, but you’re just going to wait.”

This was out of respect for Bokuto more than anything. Akaashi knew how they could get—once they got his name, they’d find out everything about him, maybe even show up. It would be a disaster, and incredibly embarrassing. Even more so, there was a part of Akaashi that wanted to keep him a secret. Right now, Bokuto wasn’t dragged down by the less than perfect aspects of his life, and Akaashi wanted to keep it that way as long as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen,,,, akaashi, suga, oikawa neighbor dynamic??? my favorite. There will be more. I love them so much i cannot EXAPLAIN. as always, leave a comment to let me know what you think! i'll probably start updating regularly on sundays, or tuesdays, I haven't quite decided yet, but I really wanted to post this chapter today. :))


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto and Akaashi get to know each other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! Just moved back in to my dorm at school, so I've been a bit busy this week. Back to updating weekly from here on out :)

Akaashi regretted not telling Suga and Oikawa. It wasn’t that his reasons for not telling them had changed. That night, they tried everything to make him share more about his ‘mystery man,’ as they called him, but Akaashi wouldn’t budge. For the rest of the weekend, he did his best to avoid them in the hallways, which turned out to be pretty easy. Secluding to his room for hours on end was typical when he was focused on a new piece, and he was practically on a first-name basis with the takeout guy.

No, the only reason he needed their help was for right now. Oikawa specifically, although he loathed to admit it. They decided to meet up on a Tuesday night, which worked with Akaashi’s class schedule, but Bokuto hadn’t told him what they were going to be doing. Actually, in all the time they spent texting, they talked about seeing each other the least, leaving Akaashi with no idea what to expect.

Akaashi hated surprises. The gesture was always nice, sure, but the lack of preparation and unfamiliarity with the upcoming situation made Akaashi’s palms sweat, even now. Worse, he had no idea what to wear. How was he supposed to decide if he had no idea where they were going, what they were doing, or what Bokuto was wearing? What do you wear on a platonic meeting with the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen? Reaching into his phone, he opened up his messages with Bokuto, scanning over the most recent texts.

**Bokuto** : i can’t wait to see you! are you still good for 6?  
**Bokuto** : we can meet at your apartment or mine, or the park by the art building?  
**Akaashi** : The park sounds fine. I’ll see you at 6  
**Bokuto** : Okay :))))) see you then!

Akaashi paused, fingers hesitating above the keyboard, before dropping his phone back onto his bed and running his fingers through his hair. Bothering Bokuto right before they saw each other would be weird, and he didn’t want to come off as desperate, or overly concerned. He most certainly was, but Bokuto didn’t need to know that.

_He didn’t tell you what you were doing because he’s trying to embarrass you. Why else would he ask you to hang out? He wants you to think it matters. You’re going to show up, just for him to make a fool of you. It’s what you deserve, for thinking someone would like you._

Sighing, Akaashi turned to his closet. Showing up overdressed would be a disaster, especially if Bokuto wasn’t dressed similarly, but it would be equally as awkward if it ended up requiring fancy dress and he looked like a pleb. A healthy middle ground was best. It was warm out, being the middle of June, but not suffocatingly hot. After cycling through the majority of his wardrobe, Akaashi grabbed a pair of light wash jeans and a slightly oversized black T-shirt. It was simple, with a minimalistic design of three birds flying across his chest, which hopefully Bokuto would appreciate. Not that Akaashi was dressing for him. 

Tucking it in and adding a belt, Akaashi slipped on his sneakers and a beanie, which he had grown to appreciate his sophomore year. Something was comforting about wearing a hat. It gave him the ability to hide somewhat, even if it was mainly in his head. Regardless, it helped calm him down, and he’d need all the help he could get in that department. 

Looking up and down in the mirror, Akaashi sighed. He’d been doing that a lot recently. It wasn’t perfect, but Akaashi didn’t have much of a choice, considering the campus was a fifteen minute walk away. Being late would be mortifying, so he was stuck with what he had. Shoving his phone, sketch pad, and water into his bag, he left his apartment, locking it behind him. 

_Why are you so concerned about what you’re wearing? Or how you look? You don’t think this is a date, do you? You’re so desperate for attention you’re really going to convince yourself of that? It’s sad really. Disgusting, even._

By the time he arrived at the park, the sun was just beginning to set, the golden orange hues painting the trees and sketching shadows onto the ground. Checking his watch, he sat down on a bench nearby, mindlessly messing with his phone as he waited. Even with the sun going down, the air was still warm on Akaashi’s skin, and he was grateful he chose a short sleeve. Akaashi itched for his charcoals or brushes, something to capture the sight before him, as well as distracting him from his nerves, but he ignored it, bouncing his leg.

“Akaashi!” Raising his head from his phone, Akaashi turned to see Bokuto bounding towards him, a grin plastered to his face. Akaashi stood, slinging his backpack back over his shoulder as he nodded. “I’m glad you came!”

_Oh, he did show up. Probably plans on ditching you later instead of standing you up. Sure, he seems like a nice guy, but it’s you. He won’t stay around long if he can help it._

“Of course I came, I told you I would,” Akaashi replied, grabbing his hands to stop from biting his nails. “Did you think I wasn’t going to show up?”

Bokuto shook his head aggressively. “No, no, that’s not it. I just know I was a little… much, when we met last week. I’m just happy I didn’t scare you off before we even got to know each other.”

“Don’t worry, I haven’t been scared off yet.” 

“Good to know, considering I haven’t even shown you the best curry place near campus yet.” Bokuto pointed in the direction he came from. “I figured we should go get some food first. You haven’t eaten yet have you? And I hope you like curry,” he grimaced. “Should’ve asked you that earlier, we can go somewhere else if you’d like.”

“Yes, I like curry, don’t worry, and I haven’t eaten yet.” They walked down the path, heading past the art building at the edge of campus.  
As neared closer, Akaashi narrowed his eyes, remembering the last time they saw each other there. “Bokuto-san, you never explained what you were doing in my classroom.”

“I was hoping you wouldn’t ask about that,” Bokuto said, looking down to his feet before glancing back towards Akaashi, a grin on his face. That seemed to be a common occurrence with Bokuto—smiles so wide and honest, he didn’t know how to feel, or how to react. His brain hotwired, and he found it easier to look away than focus too long, like looking directly at the sun on a bright day. Akaashi gestured for him to continue, so he did.

“I told you about how I work at the vet clinic, right. Well, I haven’t finished transferring to full time yet, so I have a lot of free time. I work out and stuff, but I get bored easily, so I try to pick up jobs whenever I can. They’re usually just short term, one time jobs, like helping people move in or out of their houses, teaching kids at sports camps, stuff like that. At the time when I met you, I was looking for a new job, but all the places I usually went to were full.

“You remember how I was running from Kuroo, that’s why I ran into you, right?” Akaashi nodded, and Bokuto took a deep breath before continuing. “Well, he was meeting me to get dinner after I had spent the day looking for a job. I just wanted to mess with him, which is why I took his food. We do that a lot, you’ll see when you meet him.”

Akaashi raised an eyebrow, surprised at the comment. He hadn’t even thought about the end of the night, let alone meeting each other’s friends. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, especially after hearing Bokuto mention various names through their time talking. Honestly, he just didn’t think Bokuto would be the one interested in talking further, but apparently, he was wrong.

Bokuto didn’t seem to notice Akaashi’s look as he continued the story. “Anyways, when I ran into you, I noticed you were holding one of those big art bags.”

“A portfolio,” Akaashi added, and Bokuto nodded.

“Yeah, one of those. I have another friend who takes art classes, and I always see the students there carrying those portfolio things, so I figured you must be in the art school too. Since I didn’t get your name or number or anything, and I was still looking for a job, I decided the art school would be a good place to look. That way, it was possible I might run into you again.”

He threw the comment out like it was fact, no questions. As if it was obvious he would want to know Akaashi’s name or see him again. Like Akaashi was someone worth knowing. No one ever said that about him before. Akaashi wasn’t sure what Bokuto saw that when they met, considering Akaashi looked like the most average person alive, and Bokuto was… Well, Bokuto was not.

“The whole toga incident was a bit of an accident. I applied online to be a model for one of the classes, which was really easy, surprisingly. All I had to do was send a picture in and they let me to it. I thought you’d need more qualifications to be a model, but I guess not.” Akaashi snorted, and Bokuto stopped, crossing his arms. “What?”

Akaashi was pretty sure that being a model had less to do with his abilities, and more to do with the fact that he was gorgeous, with a perfect body to match. It didn’t take a genius to decide he was fit for the job based on that alone, but he didn’t need to tell Bokuto that. “I’m just surprised you thought you could be a model. You don’t seem like the kind of person who could sit still for more than a few minutes at a time.”

Bokuto squawked indignantly. “Not true! I took tons of tests at school, and I only got up a few times during those.”

Akaashi waved him off. “Finish your story.”

“Fine, fine. Once I got an email back, they told me to come for a Greek or Roman style portrait. I don’t know much about history, so I looked it up to see what kinds of things they wear. There weren’t any stores selling those kind of outfits, so my friend helped me make one out of some sheets and I showed up in it.” Red flushed to his cheeks as rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t realize until I told Kuroo what happened that they were probably imitating Greek statues, which are generally nude, apparently. It was my fault that I thought they were mad that I wasn’t acting well enough, not that I wasn’t dressed correctly.”

Before he could stop himself, a laugh forced its way out of Akaashi’s mouth, unmistakable even on the busy street. He raised his head to apologize, but stopped once he saw the look on Bokuto’s face. His mouth was open slightly, eyes wide as he looked to Akaashi. 

“What’s wrong?” Akaashi asked, twisting his hands once again.

“Nothing, nothing’s wrong.” He snapped his mouth shut, swallowing quickly before gesturing to the building next to them. “We’re here.”

Akaashi was so caught up in Bokuto’s story, he hardly noticed when they left campus, but once he paid attention, the street looked familiar. It was a popular location for students to visit after classes since it was so close to campus, but Akaashi didn’t recognize the shop. “It looks nice.”

“Nice doesn’t even begin to cover it,” Bokuto said grinning. “I swear, it’s so good you won’t be able to eat curry anywhere else.”

The seating area was packed when they arrived, but Bokuto led them to a spot at the bar area, tucked away in the corner. Sound surrounded them, the bickering of a couple to his right and the laughter of a family behind him. He tried to ignore it, biting his nails as he read the menu. Curry was one of his favorite foods, but at this rate, he was lucky his brain was processing sounds, let alone reading. When the waiter came by, he pointed at a random dish and hoped it would end up okay.

“How did you get into art?” Akaashi lifted his head at the question, dropping his hand in favor of focusing on Bokuto. He turned sideways in his stool to face Akaashi, rocking back and forth in his seat.

Akaashi shrugged. “It was just something that I always did back in high school. It wasn’t necessarily for fun or because I was good or anything. I don’t know, I just had to paint.”

“Do you only paint?”

“No, I do a lot of drawing as well, mainly just charcoal or pen, but some color too. Painting is just my favorite,” Akaashi said, shifting in his seat. Usually, he didn’t mind talking about art, especially since it was what he was studying, but he didn’t want Bokuto to ask him about what he was currently working on, or his inspiration or something like that. Not now, when Akaashi had no answer to give him.

“I’m sure you’re great no matter what you use.” Bokuto beamed at him, forcing Akaashi to look away. There was nothing he could say in response, not when Bokuto seemed so honest as he spoke.

_Oh right, it’s because you’re a failure of an artist who can’t even make a single painting worth a damn. I almost forgot about that. Can’t you be better? It’s almost too hard keeping track of how many times you can fail._

Akaashi took a sip of water, racking his brain for something new to talk about. Lying would be a terrible first impression, and then Bokuto might ask to see his art, and he couldn’t show him anything recent. Changing the subject was the only option. “How are you working at the animal clinic? I thought you needed extra schooling to work there.”

“That’s if you’re one of the vets,” Bokuto answered, seemingly unaware of Akaashi’s change in subject. “I’m just an assistant at the clinic. I haven’t decided if I want to get certified yet, since that would mean four more years of school, and I’m not the biggest fan of studying.”

“Somehow, I’m not surprised by that,” Akaashi said, face void of emotion.

Bokuto stared at him for a second, before laughing. “You’ve got a mean streak, Akaashi. I didn’t expect it when we first met, but I can see it.”

Surprisingly or not, considering Bokuto’s kind nature, he didn’t seem put off by Akaashi’s dry humor. Most people were, especially when they first met, but it was reassuring to know he didn’t need to worry about that, at least not right away. 

They talked through the rest of dinner, and Akaashi was relieved to find it was just as easy as texting. Bokuto made everything interesting, even the most seemingly unimportant stories, and he made Akaashi feel like he was the same. To make it even better, the food was delicious, just as Bokuto promised, and he scarfed it down within a few minutes. Once they finished, Bokuto waved down the waiter, insisting he pay for both their meals.

“You really should have let me pay,” Akaashi reprimanded as they left the shop.

“No! I was the one who basically cornered you before your class, it would be wrong to make you pay.”

“Thank you then. I appreciate it.”

For a moment, they stood silent outside the store, looking at each other. Akaashi held his hands behind his back, pulling at his fingers. Dinner had gone much better than he expected, and he found himself reluctant to say goodbye. He didn’t want to be annoying, but he wanted to keep hanging out with Bokuto. He didn’t let himself think about why.

_That’s because you know nothing good will come from it, you idiot. Keep pushing down your feelings, maybe they’ll go away. They better, or Bokuto’s going to leave you. He’d be disgusted if he knew what you thought, and rightfully so._

“Do you have time to do something else? I didn’t ask how long you can stay out before we left.”

Akaashi relaxed his hands as if a weight were lifted. “I’d love to. I finished most of my pressing homework, so I don’t need to be home for awhile.”

“Great! I have just the place.”

Bokuto led them down the street, which was easier with fewer people crowding the walkways than earlier. Realistically, he knew he should be cautious, considering he had no idea where they were going, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Not when Bokuto was walking right next to him, close enough that Akaashi could feel his body heat radiating off him each time their shoulders nearly brushed. It didn’t matter to him where they went, as long as Bokuto stayed by him.

Still, the further they walked from campus, the more confused Akaashi became. He didn’t travel much around the city, besides when he needed to find a new subject. Instead, he preferred to stay in his comfort zone, consisting mainly of campus, his apartment, and a few restaurants and grocery stores in his neighborhood. That was probably an issue, considering he’d been living here for four years, but he never had a reason to leave. This far from campus, the buildings were larger, and more run-down, focusing more on apartment complexes and offices than restaurants and shops.

“Here it is.” Bokuto stopped, pointing down an alley in between two larger buildings.

Akaashi raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t extremely narrow, but it was still dark, and he couldn’t think of any reason they would be going down there. “I didn’t think this was going to end with you trying to kill me, but now I’m not so sure.”

Bokuto laughed. “I know it seems weird, but trust me, it’s worth it. And I’m not a murderer, so you should be okay.”

This was not a good idea. There was no reason to follow a strange man down an alley. Pretty people were killers too. Wasn’t it more likely for serial killers to be attractive? That couldn’t be a good sign then, because Bokuto certainly had the looks for it.

Bokuto grabbed his hand, and he stopped thinking.

“I’ve been wanting to show you this for a while,” he said, turning around in front of Akaashi so he was walking backward, leading him forward with one hand. “I thought about it once I realized you were an art student. Once I figured out you’re big on painting it was even better.”

He looked directly at Akaashi as he walked, and he felt his cheeks heat up under his gaze. Akaashi tried to focus on Bokuto’s footsteps, which somehow managed to stay straight even without seeing where he was going. The alley itself must've helped, considering it was mostly empty besides a dumpster wedged at the entrance.

Dropping Akaashi’s hand, Bokuto turned to the side, pointing towards the side of one of the buildings. Akaashi looked over, and suddenly he wasn’t breathing. He didn’t need air. It didn’t matter. Not when all he could see was the beautiful work of art in front of him.

It was a face, a beautiful woman made up of brilliant shades of color, the brightest combination of the rainbow. Her face was symmetrically perfect, eyes bright and full of life as she shone. Streaks of color surrounded her, all centering on her, the focal point of life. Hair cascaded around her face, and even on the harsh wall, it looked soft, framing her perfectly. Despite only moonlight to see by, Akaashi could tell she was the epitome of joy, but that wasn’t the most impressive part. The artist made it appear as if her face was simply a mask, only making the audience aware by creating a tear over her right side. Instead of matching the happiness on top, this part of her face was colorless, a masterpiece of black and white. A single tear leaked from her eyes, which had lost the emotion of the other side. It wasn’t a scene of joy—it was a scene of terror, of loss, of emptiness. Instead of life, it looked almost skeletal. Dead.

“How… Bokuto-san, how did you find this?” Akaashi whispered. He didn’t know how to speak any differently. He couldn’t. Not when the painting was so loud it filled up the street, the sky, and his mind, screaming in his face.

Bokuto spoke normally. “I found it my first year on campus. I’m surprised it’s still here, but I don’t think anyone’s had the heart to take it down. No one comes down here anyways, and it doesn’t bother anyone. It’s the kind of thing you have to go looking for, I think.”

He said it casually like it didn’t matter, but he kept his eyes locked on hers while he talked. Akaashi couldn’t help but wonder what Bokuto had been like when he found it, if this was something he went out looking for.

“It’s beautiful,” Akaashi said, tearing his eyes away from the wall to face Bokuto.

That caught Bokuto’s attention, who cocked his head as he looked over. “I never thought of it that way, but you’re right. It just always,” he trailed off for a moment, staring back at the wall. “Seemed so real, I suppose.”

For the most part, the alley was dark, but the bit of moonlight peaking over the buildings was just enough for Akaashi to see the other man. Bokuto wasn’t smiling, but his eyes were wide and his jaw clenched tight. A piece of hair untangled from his spiky updo, falling over his forehead. A stripe of his face was illuminated from the light, casting a shadow on the rest, and Akaashi held his breath once again. He was perfect. 

He was perfect, and Akaashi needed to paint him.

They stood for a few minutes more, looking at the mural as the night sounded all around them. Akaashi kept looking over to Bokuto--he couldn’t help it--but he didn’t seem to notice. Eventually, Bokuto turned towards him completely, a smile lighting up his face and his earlier sadness forgotten. “Do you want to stay longer or should we go.”

Akaashi nodded. “I’m good to go.”

By the time they walked back through campus, it was late, and Bokuto insisted on walking Akaashi home. “You don’t know what kind of creeps could be lurking around at this time!”

“You mean people that will lead me away into dark alleys with no explanation?”

“I had a good reason for that!”

“I know Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said, a small smile dusting his features. “I’m glad you showed me.”

“Of course! I’m sure you appreciated it more than me since you’re an arts major and everything. It only made sense,” Bokuto said, following Akaashi as he stopped in front of his apartment.

Akaashi didn’t know what to say, so he nodded towards his building. “This is my apartment building. Thank you for walking me back, I appreciate it.”

“I live in this direction too, actually, so it’s not a big deal at all.”

For a moment, they stood silent, facing each other, and Akaashi felt his pulse begin to race. What do you do in this situation? Any similar previous encounters in his life blanked from his memory and he panicked. Should he make plans to see him again? Were they friends now, or were they still strangers? 

“We should do this again, if you’d want to,” Bokuto said, grinning at Akaashi. “It was a lot of fun.”

“Yes,” Akaashi nearly shouted, before restricting himself. The night was almost over, he just needed to last a little bit longer without making a weird impression. “I’ll text you.”

“Great!”

“Goodbye, Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto waved energetically as Akaashi entered his apartment building, turning around once the door shut. Taking the stairs, Akaashi bounded up the steps towards his apartment. He still had so much energy, he didn’t know what to do. 

What felt like seconds after he entered his apartment, Akaashi’s phone lit up with texts. Pulling it from his pocket, Akaashi sighed once he saw the name.

**Oikawa** : we heard you come in!  
**Oikawa** : no it’s not creepy, and yes I have a life  
**Oikawa** : how was your date?

Akaashi began to type a response but stopped after reading the third text. A date? Was that what this was? No, it couldn’t have been. Bokuto would have said something about that, something more specific. Lying down on his bed, Akaashi went over all their conversations and texts referencing the night. Nowhere had Bokuto said anything about the night being anything other than two friends meeting up. Sure, he called him gorgeous, but that was just a nice thing to say. Bokuto was a nice guy. It didn’t mean anything.

But could it have? They did go out at night, to dinner, and Bokuto paid. Then the graffiti? Was that something you took to show a friend? Akaashi didn’t know. His only real friends were Suga and Oikawa, and they stayed in their apartment for the most part. Either way, Akaashi was certain his relationship with them was much different than the one with Bokuto.

_You think this was a date? Do you really think he likes you, of all people? Of course he doesn’t._

_No one does, and you know it._

Sighing, Akaashi rubbed his eyes. Right. It couldn’t have been a date. Just because he thought Bokuto was attractive did not mean he felt the same way. Still, he couldn’t shake the image of Bokuto’s face when he looked at the graffiti. He was such a happy person, with so much energy, but there was something in that look that Akaashi couldn’t place. Sitting up, Akaashi unzipped his backpack, pulling out his sketchbook and a pencil. If he wasn’t going to sleep, he might as well do something. Taking a deep breath, he began to draw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! I loved getting more into Bokuto in this chapter, so please leave a comment with your thoughts on everything that happened! It's great to hear what you guys think.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which it begins to rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> howdy y'all! It's been freezing with snow and rain where I'm at right now, so this chapter is fitting, although it's a lot warmer where they're at :p anyway, I hope you like the chapter!

_Tap. Tap. Tap._ Akaashi twirled his brush in time with the raindrops as he watched them pound against his classroom window. He loved rain and storms, especially in the summer. There was something special about painting during a storm. The lighting wasn’t the best, but nothing could make his brain focus like rain slamming into the roof above his head. It drowned out everything around him, even his overbearing thoughts.

A thick line, cutting across the page. A light swirl of color, softening the edges. A dusting of light, accentuating the life of the subject. Yes, rain helped make everything more real for Akaashi, and his work made that abundantly clear. It wasn’t great. It wasn’t even good, to be honest. But he didn’t hate it, and that was saying something.

Or maybe today was an outlier and the next day would bring a return to the endless cycle of mediocrity. 

“Okay class, start cleaning up, I wanted to end a little earlier to introduce our next project,” she said, leaning against her desk. “Starting next week, our classes will be cut in half, giving you time to work on a personal project that will continue through the end of the semester. I would like you to create a series of pieces centered around the same subject. It can be anything of your choosing, as long as it is alive, or was once alive. You don’t have to change mediums for each piece, but I would recommend expanding outside your comfort zone.”

Hands shot up into the room, presumably to ask the same questions they always did, about grades and effort and logistics. Akaashi didn’t care about those—his questions weren’t something a professor would be able to answer. He moved slowly, cleaning up his canvas mindlessly as his brain spun. A subject. Something he needed to focus on for a series, to tell a story. It had been weeks since Akaashi had found something to inspire one painting, let alone a whole set, and he wasn’t convinced this project was going to be anything different. At this rate, he was on track to fail out of his final year. Maybe his parents were right.

_Or maybe failing is easy. Rather try to fail than try and fail. Which was worse? Does it even matter what you do when it will always fail?_

He cleaned up quickly, packing up his canvas and supplies, gears creaking in his head as he tried to think of something. He loved to paint landscapes, whether they were real or from his head, but that didn’t seem right for this series. An object could work, but it would have to be interesting enough to withstand several surroundings and situations. Whatever. He would think of something eventually.

The rain slowed slightly by the time he left the building, but it was still wet enough for Akaashi to take the extra time to wrap his bag tightly, praying nothing would get wet. He didn’t live far enough away to justify the train or a cab, so he took off, jogging through the streets with his head down. When he finally stumbled into his apartment he was drenched, but the inside of the bag was dry. That was all that mattered.

Dragging his sweater over his head and peeling off his jeans, Akaashi fell onto the ground, staring at the ceiling. Classes were over for the day, and he had a mountain of homework left to do, but focusing on something so serious felt exhausting. The floor was better. The floor didn’t ask for the right answers or charge money for him to use. It just sat there, and Akaashi didn’t feel bad for sitting there with it.

He couldn’t stop thinking about his project. They were given several weeks to complete the series, but Akaashi was nothing if not an overthinker. Once he figured out his subject he could start planning and working, which would be far easier than having nothing. 

Turning his head to the side, he noticed his sketchbook lying on the floor next to him. Reaching over, he grabbed it, holding it open above him. A face greeted him, hastily drawn and patchy, but familiar nonetheless. Bokuto.

It had been over a week since they hung out the first time, when Akaashi had fallen asleep with charcoal in hand, hunched over on his bed. The sketch was unfinished, but looking at it stirred something in Akaashi’s chest. He and Bokuto went for coffee a few days after and texted constantly, but Akaashi hadn’t tried to draw him again. It felt like a violation. He couldn’t hide what he felt in his art. It was obvious, and maybe drawing Bokuto would make something too real, so he stopped.

Still. Akaashi thought about his smile, his laugh. The way he bounced with excitement when he saw something cool and the way he didn’t seem to care about what anyone around him thought. The unexpected sadness in his eyes that glimmered with just as much darkness as light.

Akaashi sat up, his chest suddenly tight. He wanted to paint Bokuto. For this project, this series, he wanted Bokuto as his subject. In all honesty, he’d been thinking of Bokuto from the moment his professor explained what they needed to do. He just didn’t want to admit it. Focusing on people wasn’t his forte, and he knew it meant something that he wanted to choose Bokuto. 

Grabbing his phone, he opened his messages to Bokuto. What did he even say? How do you ask someone to be your portrait subject? _‘Hey, you want to sit around and be bored while I paint you? You’re down? Fantastic, we start tomorrow. Preferably with limited clothes because I am very gay and very attracted to you. That’s not a problem? Great, see you then.’_

Akaashi fell onto his back again, staring up at their conversations. No, it would be best to find something else to focus on. It wasn’t worth the discomfort of asking, not when they were just becoming friends. He’d find something else.

Buzzing, his phone lit up with a new text, jarring him into dropping the phone directly onto his face. Groaning, he sat up, rubbing his nose as he watched more texts appear.

 **Bokuto** : akaashi!  
**Bokuto** : are you doing anything later?  
**Bokuto** : do you want to come to the clinic?  
**Bokuto** : i’m closing tonight, and i can show you some of the animals!!  
**Akaashi** : I’d love to see the animals. What time should I come?  
**Bokuto** : we close at 7, so around then? i can sneak you in  
**Akaashi** : That seems illegal, you realize that.  
**Akaashi** : We better not get in trouble with your boss.  
**Bokuto** : of course we won’t! i’m sure she won’t care at all

Maybe that would be a better idea. This way he could hang out with Bokuto, and it would give him more time to figure out what to say to him. If he wanted to say anything to him.

_You’ll probably wimp out and not even ask him. You weren't always such a coward, what happened to you? Or maybe you’ve always been this way, you just didn’t have anything you wanted before._

The floor’s hold on him weakened and he stood up, walking to turn on the shower. The cold from the rain finally seeped into his bones, and he shivered. He opened the shower door just as steam began to fill the room, relishing the water as it scalded his skin. For a moment, he just stood there, gathering up as much warmth as he could, before quickly washing his hair and body. Usually, Akaashi enjoyed long warm showers, but he didn’t want to be late to meet Bokuto.

As conflicted as he was about talking to Bokuto about his project, he desperately wanted to see where he worked. Bokuto talked about his job often, explaining the different animals and their injuries to Akaashi. Their texts were filled with pictures of his favorites, and Akaashi saved them every time.

Wrapping a towel around his waist, he left the shower, drying his hair as he looked for clothes. His earlier outfit was lying on the floor, but it was still damp from the rain, so he grabbed jeans and a sweater from his closet. Although it was usually warm at night, the rain had cooled the weather significantly during the day, and he wasn’t sure how long they would be outside. 

Following the directions Bokuto sent him, he walked towards the clinic. Akaashi kept jumping over puddles as he walked, wondering what the clinic even was. He’d always liked animals, but he never had any pets, so he never had to visit a clinic like this. When he was younger his parents would never tolerate the idea of pets, considering they were too busy yelling at each other to care about taking care of another living being. Akaashi was more than enough.

The clinic was close, to Akaashi’s surprise. Once again, Akaashi wondered how many times he and Bokuto might have walked past each other, or gone to the same restaurant. There was no way Akaashi wouldn’t have noticed Bokuto if they were around each other for more than a few minutes, but still. It was strange to think of.

The shop was small, with a big window in the front showcasing dog food sales, and limited-time offers. Above the entrance, an open sign flickered, so Akaashi opened the door, a bell dinging above his head as he walked in. 

The entrance reminded Akaashi of a doctor's office, with a check-in desk and a large door to the right side, presumably to let owners bring their animals in. The sign said open, but no one stood at the front desk. 

“Hello?”

A loud clanking noise sounded from the back followed by a shout resembling a scared animal but was most certainly Bokuto. Akaashi considered just walking through the back to see what happened, before Bokuto stumbled through the door. Standing up straight, he grinned at Akaashi. 

“Akaashi! Was it hard to find? I think we’re pretty close to your apartment, but I’m not sure. Is it still raining outside? You didn’t get too wet did you?”

“No, it wasn’t hard to find. It stopped raining a bit ago so I barely got wet.” 

“Good! Let me close the clinic and then I can show you to the back.” He hopped over the counter, which couldn’t have been sanitary, walking up to the sign by the window. Flipping a switch to turn the light off, he spun around gesturing to the door. “We can use the door to go back.”

“I don’t think your boss would appreciate me jumping over the counter,” Akaashi agreed.

“No, she definitely would not.”

Bokuto led him to the back, and Akaashi raised his eyebrows at the sight of the back. There were a few cages lined up next to each other, each fairly spacious and resembling a kennel. Two of the spots were filled, each with a dog and another cage sat on a counter across from the kennel, housing a bird that Akaashi couldn’t identify. It was smaller than Akaashi imagined, the space filled with more medical equipment and examination tables than he expected.

“Do you usually have this many animals?” Akaashi asked, watching as Bokuto stepped towards the dogs.

Bokuto reached into the cage, petting the smaller of the two. “Yeah, usually no more than five stay overnight. Doc takes care of a lot of different kinds, but mainly dogs and cats so we have the biggest facilities for them. For the most part, people bring the pets in for a check up and then take them home, but sometimes they have to stay overnight so they don’t injure themselves further.”

Akaashi nodded, twisting a ring on his finger as he watched Bokuto play with the dog. “They seem sweet.”

“They’re the best! We’ve only gotten a few really wild ones, but they just need some extra attention, that’s all. All the animals are sweethearts once you get to know them.”

Of course, Bokuto would say that. Akaashi wouldn’t be surprised if he claimed the animals were ‘just playing’ right before they tried to bite his arm off. He was just like that. It could have been ignorance or maybe kindness, but to Akaashi it looked like pure joy at being around the animals. Why should it matter what they’re doing as long as they're alive?

“This one’s my favorite right now,” Bokuto continued, standing up towards the birdcage. “I found him outside a few days ago when I was on my run. He’d hurt his wing and couldn’t fly or anything so I couldn’t just leave him there. Doc doesn’t usually take in strays, but she said as long as I take care of him on my time then it’s alright.”

Akaashi walked closer as Bokuto grabbed a bag of seeds from the nearby counter, feeding a few to the sparrow from his finger. It barely hesitated, jumping up quickly to pick up the seeds on his finger. He laughed, turning to Akaashi once the seeds were gone. “Do you want to try?”

“I don’t know.” Akaashi did know. Animals didn’t like him, even if he wanted them to. He did not want to try. “It doesn’t seem like a good idea.”

“Come on, it’ll be fine,” Bokuto smiled encouragingly. “He’s really nice and so are you, so you guys automatically get along great!”

There wasn’t anything Akaashi could say to that, so he approached slowly, accepting the seeds that Bokuto sprinkled onto his hand. Placing a few on his pointer finger, he slowly moved his finger through one of the openings. It was going to try to peck him to death, but at least Bokuto thought he was nice.

The sparrow moved warily, tilting its head at Akaashi as it hopped around the cage. It didn’t seem to want to approach, but it’s desire for the seeds outweighed its discomfort over being around a new person. Slowly it hopped closer, until finally jumping up to Akaashi’s finger, pecking at the seeds.

Akaashi froze, not wanting to disturb the bird as it ate. During the first seed or two, it would hop back off his finger immediately, but eventually, it stayed in place, as if realizing Akaashi wasn’t going to do anything. He barely even breathed, just watching as the bird moved, until it finished, hopping off his finger and chirping quietly. 

“Wow,” Akaashi breathed, and Bokuto laughed, the sound lighting up the quiet room. 

“You can move your finger now, if you want. But he likes you, I can see why you’d want to stay.”

Withdrawing his finger, Akaashi smiled. Maybe it was just because Bokuto was around, but the bird seemed to like him. That seemed like a win in Akaashi’s book, however small and insignificant it may be.

“I’m surprised he’s not scared.”

“He was at first, but once he realized I wasn’t going to hurt him he warmed up to me pretty quick,” Bokuto said, walking towards the front of the store. “I need to clean up a few things before we leave, feel free to pet the dogs or feed him some more seeds if you want.”

Akaashi nodded, turning towards the two dogs. They were both used to people and jumped up towards the bars as he approached. He took turns petting them, smiling as they wagged their tails excitedly. It made sense why Bokuto worked here. It was perfect for him, and the animals were just as energetic as he.

_It'd be funny to see you try to work at a place like this. See how he’s helping animals, doing something important with his life. Yeah, that’s not something you could ever do. What does art do? Maybe if it was good, it would be worth something. If only._

“Are you ready to go?” Bokuto peeked his head into the doorway as he spoke, and Akaashi smiled. His hair really did stay like that no matter what.

“Yeah, I’m good.”

He followed Bokuto towards the front, who shut a few cabinets by the front desk before walking out the door, locking it behind them. “Sometimes I wish I could take some of the animals home with me, but then I’d definitely lose my job. They’re just so fun to be around!”

“You don’t have any pets of your own?” Akaashi was surprised. Bokuto loved animals so much Akaashi just assumed he adopted something, even if it was small.

Bokuto’s eyes flashed for a moment, before he shook his head, smiling slightly. “Nope, I’ve never had the time. A pet is a big responsibility, and I’m so focused on the clinic I get too busy.”

That didn’t seem possible—Bokuto always had endless energy when they were together, especially when talking about the animals, but what did Akaashi know. They’d only known each other for a little over a month. It would be presumptuous of Akaashi to assume he knew anything about the man.

“I don’t think I would know how to take care of a pet,” Akaashi frowned, and they began walking towards Akaashi’s apartment.

“What do you mean? It’s easy, I could show you!”

“I’m sure the internet could teach me as well Bokuto, I’m more worried about actually doing it.”

Bokuto shook his head. “I could come over whenever and help and everything! It’d be so fun, I swear. I’m not that busy as long as I’m not working so you could call me over whenever. ”

Akaashi’s cheeks burned. Did this man think before he talked? Callously inviting himself over like that, not even thinking how Akaashi’s heart could handle it. The only people that had ever been in Akaashi’s apartment were Suga and Oikawa, and he hadn’t had much of a choice any of those times. It wasn’t that he didn’t want Bokuto there, he certainly did if his racing heart was any indicator, but he wasn’t mentally prepared. At all.

“I’ll think about it,” Akaashi said. He would. He just knew what the answer would be.

The street was dark as they walked, little droplets landing on them from the puddles covering the street. Bokuto talked about the different animals Akaashi could get and what it would require to take care of them. Akaashi liked to listen. He didn’t think as much when Bokuto talked to him. Not about the girl who glanced at them as she walked past, talking loudly on the phone, or the teenagers shoving each other and shouting across the street. He noticed them, yes. He just didn’t care.

As they walked, the sky began to open up again, confirming it’s unending hatred of Akaashi. Drops began to fall, slowly at first, and then faster, dashes of water falling into his eyes before he could shake them away.

“Bokuto-san, we should go!” Akaashi shouted, grabbing Bokuto’s arm before he realized what he was doing, yanking the larger man behind him. What started as light rain was transforming into a downpour, and of course, Akaashi left his umbrella at home. He didn’t expect the rain to pick up again like this, which was his mistake.

He yanked Bokuto behind him, attempting to cover his face with his jacket until he heard a sound behind him. Laughter. Spinning around, he stopped, narrowing his eyes to see Bokuto through the rain. His head was tilted back, face pointed towards the sky as it pelted him with drop after drop. It was madness, but Bokuto didn’t seem to mind. If anything, the harder the rain fell, the harder Bokuto seemed to laugh. 

“Look at it!” Bokuto’s voice carried over the storm as he closed his eyes, lifting his arm to the rain.

Akaashi didn’t get it. Not the rain, or the standing, or the laughter, not until Bokuto opened his eyes, turning to stare at Akaashi. His eyes shone gold, the brightest thing he could see in the overcast night, and Akaashi loved them. He wanted to be like that. To see what Bokuto saw. To feel that joy.

Dropping his arms to his side, he looked up, feeling the cool of the raindrops sliding against his skin. For a moment, he just stood there. The sky was dark, an empty abyss if not for the drops twinkling from the street lamps. It looked like glass—perfect and untouchable—until it slammed into him, melding into his body. He could feel everything from his upturned palms to his freezing toes to the droplet dripping down his eyelash. It tore at him, ripping apart the walls of reason and propriety he carefully structured in his head throughout the years.

Slowly, he began to smile, as if each drop of rain pulled at his lips, curving them into a grin. It was cold and absurd and wet and loud and absolutely perfect, and Akaashi wondered why he’d never done this before. Maybe he was just too scared to try.

A splash of water sprayed over him, yanking him back to the moment as he sputtered, wiping water off his clothes. Not that it did anything, considering he was already soaked. He looked up to see a grinning Bokuto who dashed away, jumping into puddle after puddle as he went. Akaashi grinned. He wasn’t getting away with splashing Akaashi without a fight.

They chased each other through the street, splashing into the water as they went, competing for who could get the other the wettest. For the most part, they were even. Bokuto kept jumping into puddles as close as he could, spraying Akaashi from head to toe, but Akaashi got him back, kicking through a buildup near a drain and drenching Bokuto completely. They kept shoving each other into whatever puddles they could, even though they were both completely soaked, no matter what happened. It made Akaashi grateful for his occasional morning runs—he didn’t know how he would’ve kept up with Bokuto otherwise.

Akaashi couldn’t remember the last time he laughed that much.

When they neared Akaashi’s apartment, Akaashi gave Bokuto one last push, towards the overhang by the entrance. He laughed, just before Bokuto threw a hand out, latching onto his jacket and pulling Akashi in with him. They stumbled backward, slipping on the slick steps and falling against the wall near the buzzers. 

Akaashi bent over, panting heavily. He would’ve been embarrassed, but he could hear Bokuto doing the same.

“That,” Akaashi said, finally catching his breath. “Was fun.”

“Yes,” Bokuto agreed. “I love the rain.”

Akaashi lifted his head, tilting it sideways as he remembered Bokuto’s face at the beginning. “What made you stop in the first place?"

Bokuto shrugged. “I’m not sure, exactly. There’s something beautiful about existing, feeling alive. I like to appreciate the things that make me feel that way to the fullest.”

His voice was soft, and Akaashi became conscious of how close they stood. Bokuto wrapped his arm around Akaashi when they stumbled, and he hadn’t moved them. If anything, he tightened his grip, and Akaashi could feel his body against his. He didn’t move. He couldn’t, not when Bokuto looked at him like that, eyes gleaming in a way similar to earlier, yet somehow completely new. Whatever it was, Akaashi was sure the look was mirrored in his own eyes.

He didn't think, not when Bokuto’s mouth was so close to his, his body warm and inviting. Before he could help it, Akaashi’s eyes flickered down to Bokuto’s lips, holding his breath. Bokuto licked his lips slightly in response, and Akaashi couldn’t breathe, not that it mattered. He didn’t need air, not when Bokuto was pressed against him, slowly moving closer and closer.

_What do you think you’re doing, idiot? He doesn’t want you. Are you trying to ruin everything?_

“Do you want to be my portrait subject?” Akaashi spoke before he could think, blurting out the first thing in his head as he jerked his head back.  
Bokuto opened his mouth for a moment, then closed it, letting go of Akaashi. His cheeks burned. Of all the things he could have chosen to say, he had to pick the most uncomfortable one. Still, it was better than what he might’ve done otherwise. No matter what happened, Akaashi knew they were just friends. Whatever else he thought was all in his head. He couldn’t forget that.

“What does that mean?” Bokuto said, and Akaashi breathed a sigh of relief. Good, he wasn’t going to mention it. 

“I have a project for one of my classes. We need to make a series of works centered on a single subject, and we’re supposed to challenge ourselves. I haven’t done much with portraits of people, so I was hoping you would be willing to be my subject.” At Bokuto’s hesitation, he continued hurriedly. “You don’t have to of course. Don’t feel obligated to, just because I asked. I can find another subject if you’re not up for it.”

Bokuto shook his head. “No, of course I’m up to it. I’d love to help you with your project in any way I can. I just don’t know if I’m an interesting enough subject for a project.”

He seemed genuinely concerned, eyes furrowing together, but Akaashi snorted. “Trust me, that won’t be a problem.”

Before Bokuto could ask anything else, the entrance to the building swung up, startling both of them. 

“Well, well, well, just who I wanted to see!” Oikawa said, smirking at Akaashi. Akaashi’s smile dropped. This was not someone he wanted to see right now. Oikawa looked at Akaashi for a moment longer, as if reading his thoughts, before turning to Bokuto, eyes wide. “And who’s your friend?”

He may have looked innocent to an outsider, but Akaashi knew better. Oikawa knew exactly what was going on, and he was going to make it as difficult as possible for Akaashi.

“This is my friend, Bokuto Kotaro. Bokuto-san, this is one of my neighbors, Oikawa Tooru.”

“It’s nice to meet you!” Bokuto said, smiling brightly. “It’s great to meet some of Akaashi’s friends.”

“He's just a neighbor,” Akaashi muttered, but Bokuto didn’t seem to notice.

Oikawa smiled back as he eyed Bokuto up and down, lips curling into his perfect salesman smile. Akaashi could sense the smirk underneath “It’s great to meet you as well. Why don’t you guys come up to our apartment for some food, maybe some dry clothes.”

“You were just about to leave,” Akaashi deadpanned. 

Oikawa waved him off, leaning on his umbrella. “Nonsense, I didn’t realize how disgusting it was out there. It’s raining cats and dogs, you realize that.”

Akaashi didn’t laugh, but Oikawa didn’t seem to care. He laughed enough for the both of them. Stepping back inside, he held the door open, ushering both of them inside.

“Bokuto has to go home now, it’s late,” Akaashi added.

“Oh no, it’s fine! I can come over for a little bit before I head home,” Bokuto said, and Akaashi groaned internally. He really wasn’t helping this situation.

“Great! It’s settled. Now hurry in, I don’t want to get wet. We have so much to talk about!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i physically cannot write a fic without at LEAST one almost kiss, so here we are :)))) silly akaashi stuck in his head always, but also,,,, akaashi's gay panic???? fits him perfectly and also the most relatable thing in the world, he's amazing. Also I love Oikawa so much even as a side character he is so fun to write. 
> 
> As always, leave a comment! I'm back at campus and am already swamped with school, and your comments really keep me going whenever I have a lot going on. Thanks, love you guys!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto meets Akaashi's friends!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this chapter late??? Yes. Do I have a good reason?? No I do not. To be honest, I finally caught up to the new episodes of attack on titan so my brain has been preoccupied, but here we are! Lots of Oikawa and Suga neighbor content to make up for it. I hope you enjoy the chapter!

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-two, but my birthday’s in a few months.”

“And you already graduated?”

“Yep, I finished up at University last year.”

“Older than Akaashi, I see.”

Akaashi glared at Oikawa, who was seated across from Bokuto on the chair. Oikawa promptly ignored him, continuing to pepper Bokuto with questions instead. Apparently, Oikawa needed to know every detail of Bokuto’s life, no matter how unimportant. Akaashi knew his neighbor would be a menace once he met Bokuto, but he thought he would have time to compose himself before they met, instead of being cornered and forced to his apartment. Interactions with Oikawa required heavy mental preparations.

“So you must have a job then?” Oikawa was saying, resting his head on his hand while he stared at Bokuto.

“I work at a veterinary clinic as an assistant, and I’m the best one they have.” Bokuto smiled, and Akaashi could barely stop himself from laughing at the honesty in his voice. It wasn’t cockiness or exaggeration, it was just Bokuto saying what he knew to be true.

From the way his eyes widened, Oikawa wasn’t expecting that response, but he quickly recovered. “What do you do for fun then?” 

Bokuto shrugged. “I'm at the clinic a lot, but when I have free time I like to go out with my friends and workout. I played volleyball a few years ago, so I try to play whenever I can.”

Oikawa looked him up and down slowly and smiled, winking at Akaashi. “Yes, I can tell you workout a lot.”

Akaashi’s cheeks burned. Questions like these had been going on for half an hour, and to Akaashi’s horror, he showed no signs of stopping. Somehow, Bokuto didn’t seem bothered, keeping up with Oikawa’s interrogation with ease. If anything he seemed enthusiastic about talking with Oikawa. This was most likely because Oikawa’s lewd comments were flying right over his head, but either way, it was impressive.

“Yep, it’s a good way to fill the time, and it keeps me in shape to help with the animals,” Bokuto said, smiling brightly. “You should workout with me sometime! It’s always more fun to run with a friend.”

Stifling a laugh, Akaashi watched Oikawa as his ever-present smile dropped slightly, betraying a look of disgust before he could stop himself. “Thanks, Ko-chan, but I think I’ll pass. I’d much rather exercise by myself.”

“I’m sure,” Akaashi said, a small smirk on his face. Oikawa stuck his tongue out in response, rolling his eyes, but the door opened before he could disagree.

“I’m back!” Suga’s voice rang through the apartment as he stumbled inside, several bags of takeout in hand. Smiling brightly, he stepped towards the couch, raising his eyebrows at Bokuto. “Oh? I thought you meant Iwaizumi when you said we had a guest.”

Akaashi swiveled his head to Oikawa, narrowing his eyebrows. That wasn’t a good sign. He thought Oikawa dragged them inside just to be annoying, not because he might need a distraction from something else going on. Akaashi wondered where Oikawa had been originally planning to go. Probably a bar. Oikawa didn’t react to Suga’s implication, just maintained the same pleasant smile.

“No, this is Akaashi’s mystery man,” Oikawa said, and Akaashi decided it didn’t matter why Oikawa invited them over. He was an asshole either way.

“My name is Bokuto Kotaro, Akaashi’s friend,” Bokuto waved, ignoring Oikawa’s comment. “You must be Sugawara-san! Akaashi’s mentioned you before.”

Oikawa gasped. “How come he knows who Suga is but apparently has never heard of me before?”

“I didn’t think to mention you,” Akaashi raised an eyebrow. “What have you ever done worth talking about?”

Standing up, Oikawa chucked a pillow at Akaashi, who ducked against the couch to avoid it. By the time he sat back up, flipping Oikawa off in response, Suga was talking to Bokuto, ignoring them. He set the bags onto the counter and waved them over. “You realize I got all this for you fools. I bought a lot so you better be hungry.”

Suga tried to look menacing, narrowing his eyebrows at them but ended up looking more entertained than anything. Following his instructions, Akaashi stood up, gesturing for Bokuto to follow. He hopped up, eagerly piling food onto the plate Akaashi offered to him. “Thanks for the food Sugawara-san! I’m starving and this looks great.”

“You can call me Sugawara or Suga if you’d like, Bokuto-san. And don’t thank me, I wasn’t one the one who made it,” Suga said, waving him off. “You’ll have to come over another time when I’m actually cooking, then feel free to shower me with praise.”

“I’d love to!” Bokuto said as Akaashi frowned. How were his friends inviting Bokuto over before he did? They didn’t seem to have any issue doing what Akaashi had been building up to for the weeks that they’d known each other.

_It’s because you know he doesn’t want to. They don’t get it, they can’t see these things as you can. You’re being cautious because you have to be. It’ll be better in the end._

Akaashi grabbed a plate, following Bokuto’s lead and filling up his plate. He wasn’t sure how long they were in the rain, but something about the cold rain and running after each other left him ravenous.

Leading Bokuto back to the couch, Akaashi sat down, making sure to give Bokuto as much space as he could. Akaashi would never admit it, considering how annoying he was, but Oikawa had provided the perfect distraction from earlier. Even now, Akaashi could feel his cheeks start to heat up as he thought about what he had almost done. It was foolish, he knew that, or he wouldn't have stopped himself. It wasn’t smart. It would have ended horribly, most likely with Bokuto hating him. He wouldn't have shown it, Bokuto was too nice of a guy, but he'd distance himself until they never saw each other again.

Yet even sitting a respectable distance away from Bokuto on the couch, Akaashi could still feel his presence, larger than everything else in the room. He could still feel Bokuto’s body pressed against his. He could still feel the heat radiating off him as they nearly shared a breath. He glanced over, watching Bokuto smile as he ate.

Nothing even happened, and Akaashi didn’t know how he’d ever look at Bokuto the same.

Akaashi felt his heart clench, and he looked away. No. _No._ It didn’t matter how kind and beautiful and fun and exciting Bokuto was. The last thing he needed was to catch feelings for a boy who never expressed interest, and who was far too good for him. It was time for him to cut his losses and get over this before it got any worse. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to talk to Bokuto for a while. He could take a break. Only interact to work on the portrait, then act busy anytime he tries to make plans. That would work.

“Akaashi, why don’t you bring Bokuto next weekend! You promised you’d come,” Suga said, leaning back against the counter as he ate.

Oikawa clapped his hands. “He’s right! You can’t back out now, you lost fair and square so you have to.”

Never before had Akaashi been inclined towards violence, but he could imagine this was what it felt like right before throwing a punch. “I don’t think he’d want to, it’s not that fun.”

“What do you mean?” Bokuto said, leaning forward in his seat. 

“I agreed to go out for drinks with Oikawa and Suga next weekend. It’s not usually my thing, but I’ll come with them once in a while.” What Akaashi didn’t want to say was that they always asked him to go out for drinks, and he almost always said no, preferring to stay at home and watch movies. The only reason he agreed to go this time was that he lost in a Mario Kart tournament against Suga. They’d only bought the game a few weeks earlier, so Akaashi figured it would be an easy win, considering he’d been playing for years.

Unfortunately, he forgot Suga’s frequent opponent was Oikawa, who had no life and was insanely competitive, resulting in freakishly good Mario Kart abilities. Suga wasn’t quite as good, but he still left Akaashi in the dust after the first round. By then it was too late. There was no chance he would back out after that, so fifteen minutes later, he was forced into their plans. This wasn’t the first time he had been roped into going with them, so he was prepared, but the last thing he wanted was Bokuto to feel obligated to come along with them.

“I think that would be fun!” Bokuto said, before furrowing his eyebrows. “Unless you don’t want me to, I understand if you want to go out with just your friends.”

At the look on Bokuto’s face, Akaashi forgot all about his promise to himself. “You’re my friend too, Bokuto-san. I’d love it if you came.”

“Great! My friend Kuroo actually works at a bar near here, so if you don’t already have a place in mind, maybe we could go there. He’s really cool, and I’ve been wanting him to meet you for awhile.”

“That sounds good, I’m sure the others won’t care.” It did not sound good. The only thing more stressful than Bokuto being stuck around all his friends was Bokuto being stuck around all his friends while also having to make a good impression on _Bokuto’s_ friend. The one he had already heard so much about and who was very important to him. Not that he would say anything. If it was important to Bokuto, then he would have to just suck it up. “What does he do there?”

“He’s their best bartender,” Bokuto grinned. “I’ll have him make you his best.”

Akaashi smiled back. “I look forward to trying it.”

For the most part, Akaashi didn’t drink much, choosing to only sip on a beer or two when he went out with Suga and Oikawa. Still, he wanted to make a good impression on Bokuto’s friends, and trying whatever he made was probably a good start. He could worry about actually talking to him when he got there.

For a while, they ate, with Suga getting to know Bokuto, and Oikawa and Akaashi arguing over the difference between getting food delivered and picking it up yourself. It was stupid and meaningless, but the longer they stayed there, the more grateful Akaashi was to Oikawa. Although he was certainly the nosiest person Akaashi had ever met and had no concept of boundaries, Akaashi enjoyed Bokuto spending time with his friends. He fit in easily, having no issues responding to Oikawa, and enthusiastically sharing his own stories to Suga.

The best part was when he would look over to Akaashi when there was a lull in the conversation and smile, or ask him a question. It was small, but it reminded him that as easily as Bokuto fit in with his friends, he was there because he was Akaashi’s friend. He wasn’t used to being that person for someone, but he liked it already.

Eventually, Suga and Oikawa wandered into the kitchen, locked into a rock paper scissors tournament, leaving Bokuto and Akaashi alone on the couch for the first time since they arrived. Leaning to the side, Bokuto nudged Akaashi with his shoulder, smiling. 

“I like your friends.”

Akaashi ducked his head. “I’m sorry you got dragged in here like that, Oikawa just loves to harass me.”

Bokuto laughed. “I noticed that, but it’s fine. Your friends are really cool, I’m glad I was able to talk to them. I was so nervous when Oikawa brought us up here I thought I wouldn’t be able to hold a conversation.”

“Really?” Akaashi widened his eyes. That was a surprise. Considering how easygoing Bokuto always was, Akaashi had never considered he might feel nervous meeting people the same way Akaashi was. “I couldn’t notice at all! You answered all their questions easily, even the weird ones, and that took me months to do.”

“I’m glad you couldn’t tell,” Bokuto said, leaning back on the couch while rubbing the back of his neck. “Hopefully they couldn’t either. They’re both so put together, it’s kind of intimidating, but I think I did alright.”

Akaashi snorted. “They may seem put together now, but trust me, once you see them fighting over the last bite of ice cream at two in the morning, you wouldn’t think so.”

“How was that a fair fight? I feel like Oikawa would win with no problem.”

Raising his eyebrows, Akaashi pointed over to the kitchen where the other two men stood. He couldn’t make out exactly what Suga was saying, but he could hear Oikawa arguing for another match. Suga just shook his head, rolling his eyes as he walked towards the fridge, Oikawa following right behind him. “You’ve only just met them, but trust me. Suga is vicious when he wants to be, and always has something up his sleeve. He just doesn’t whine when he loses, unlike Oikawa.”

At the last sentence, he spoke a little louder, and Oikawa turned around, glaring at him. “It’s not my fault that Suga is a little cheater!”

“How do you cheat in rock paper scissors! It’s literally impossible!” Suga exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air.

“I see what you mean,” Bokuto said, laughing before standing up. “As much as I’d like to see how that fight plays out, I have a few things I need to finish up before work tomorrow.”

Akaashi followed suit, standing up and walking with Bokuto to the door. “I’ll bring your clothes the next time I see you, if that’s alright.”

“Sure, sounds good!” Bokuto grabbed his coat and shoes, before pausing, looking up at Akaashi. “Were you serious about wanting to use me for your paintings?”

Instead of sounding accusatory or joking, he seemed genuinely confused, but Akaashi still froze. “Yes, I was serious.”

Bokuto nodded. “Alright then. If you want me, then I believe it’ll turn out really well. Just let me know when you want to work on it.”

Of course Akaashi wanted him. He wanted Bokuto as a muse, and a friend, and everything else he could get. Maybe it was greedy or wrong, but whatever Bokuto was willing to give, he was going to take. “I’ll text you to figure out a day.”

“You’re leaving already!” Suga shouted from the kitchen before he and Oikawa tumbled through the kitchen opening towards the door. “You only just got here!” 

“Suga, he’s been here for over an hour and he has work tomorrow morning,” Akaashi said, leaning against the wall.

“The time just went by so quickly, it doesn’t seem that long,” Suga complained. 

Oikawa handed a container to Bokuto. “At least take some of the leftovers, this way you can remember us when you’re gone.”

Akaashi rolled his eyes at Oikawa’s dramatics, but Bokuto laughed, tucking the container under his arm. “Thank you, I look forward to eating it. And thanks for having me over tonight, it was a lot of fun!”

“You’re welcome over anytime,” Suga said, and Oikawa grinned, nodding his head. 

“I’ll take you up on that!” Bokuto said, waving at them, before turning to Akaashi. Before he could react, Bokuto leaned over, wrapping his arms around Akaashi in a hug. He squeezed tightly, his arms pulling Akaashi into his chest. Akaashi could feel his breath against his cheek and his body pressed tightly against him. At first, he didn’t do anything, his hands motionless at his side, before quickly reaching up to hug Bokuto around the waist. 

It ended as abruptly as it began, Bokuto pulling away before Akaashi fully processed what had happened. He smiled brightly, waving to them once again. “Bye Akaashi! I’ll talk to you later.”

Opening the door behind him, he walked out, throwing one glance at Akaashi before the door shut. They stood still for a moment, staring at the closed door before Oikawa laughed. 

“You’re absolutely fucked, aren’t you,” he said, the sound of his laughter quickly joined by Suga.

Akaashi groaned, throwing his head back to look at the ceiling. “Yes, Oikawa, I think I am.”

Camera. Sketchbook. Water bottle. Charcoal. Akaashi scanned his bag, triple checking that he wasn’t forgetting anything before locking his door behind him. He wasn’t, but he couldn’t help but worry, clutching the bag close to his side. For the past few days, he and Bokuto texted back and forth trying to find a time to meet for Bokuto to model for the portrait, but somehow their schedules never lined up, an issue Akaashi was finding to be more and more common. Eventually, they decided on Friday afternoon, so they could meet up with Suga and Oikawa at the bar afterward.

That didn’t worry Akaashi. Not at all. Why would he be worried about painting Bokuto for the first time, then meeting his friends and drinking together all in one night?

Not that he’d be drawing today. The sun was already going down, so they planned on taking a few reference pictures for two of Akaashi’s pieces, both of which required limited light. At most, he brought his charcoal to sketch out a few ideas he might have while with Bokuto. It wasn’t that big of a deal. Logically he knew that. Yet he was more nervous now than he was the first day they went to dinner if that was even possible. 

Now, Bokuto was more than just a made-up person in his head. He was a person, with actual thoughts and feelings and a personality who mattered to Akaashi. Maybe some people would become more comfortable as they became closer with their friends, and that was partially true for Akaashi, but the opposite also applied. Now every interaction mattered more because there was more to lose.

Akaashi just needed to take it one step at a time. Despite his nerves, he was looking forward to the portraits. Art was a pillar in his life, as consistent and important as eating or sleeping, and he was starving for it. Not just the mediocre painting he’d been making for class, but something he could feel. 

As he walked down the street, he thought about the mural Bokuto brought him to. He wanted to make something like that. Painting was his favorite medium, but he didn’t want to pour his heart into something just for it to be a background piece in someone’s bathroom, or locked in an old exhibit no one ever saw. The whole point of art, as Akaashi saw it, was to make someone feel something, and that wouldn’t be possible if no one ever saw what he made.

_It’s cute how you’re talking about making people feel something, or having someone see what you paint. Maybe try finishing a half-way decent painting first? You’re getting ahead of yourself again, it’s exhausting._

He just needed to focus on the reference pictures. That was all. 

After a few minutes of walking, he spotted Bokuto, lounging on a bench as he looked at his phone. His legs stretched out in front of him, but he jumped up once he spotted Akaashi.

“You look great!” Bokuto said, eyes bright as he looked Akaashi up and down.

Akaashi smiled, praying his cheeks weren’t turning red. He was wearing a pair of dark slacks and a short sleeve silk button up. For at least 10 minutes before he left he had stood in front of the mirror debating whether unbuttoning an extra button would make him seem pretentious or not, and eventually decided to do it either way. Honestly, the outfit was perfect--the exact combination of classy and artsy that Akaashi wanted to present for meeting Bokuto’s friend for the first time.

“Thank you, Bokuto-san. I hope this attire fits the bar that your friend works at.”

“Of course! You always look good so anything you wear would’ve been fine.” Bokuto gestured towards himself. “Is this okay for the pictures?”

Akaashi nodded appraisingly. He had told Bokuto to wear something simple, since he wanted the focus to be on his face and surroundings for these photos, and he had complied. Somehow, Bokuto made a simple black t-shirt and jeans look incredible. Probably because it outlined his shoulders and arms so clearly Akaashi could imagine exactly what he’d look like underneath. Not that he would do that. “Yes, that’s perfect. These shouldn’t take too long, I’ll position you how I need and then we can pick up Suga and Oikawa from the apartment.”

“Position me however you want,” he replied, flashing him two thumbs up combined with a smirk and Akaashi had to stop his jaw from dropping. He continued before Akaashi could say anything, “I haven’t had the best modeling experience, as you saw, but hopefully I can make it work for you.”

Laughing, Akaashi pointed towards a lamppost. “Start over there and we’ll see if we can make these turn out any better than your previous attempt.”

Bokuto complied as Akaashi pulled out his camera. Photography wasn’t his focus, but he’d taken a few classes his freshman year, so he was well accustomed to a camera. Still, the pictures were only for a baseline. The real challenge would come later when he decided what he was going to do with the pictures.

It was calming, working with Bokuto. Once he looked through the lens, he stopped worrying about what Bokuto was thinking and focused only on the image of what he wanted to create. He stopped trying to ignore how beautiful Bokuto looked because that’s the way art was supposed to be. He stopped wondering if he was touching Bokuto’s arm for too long or speaking rudely because it didn’t matter over making the shot look perfect.

Maybe he wouldn’t achieve perfection, but after an hour, he was itching to paint. They had moved throughout the city and nearby park, capturing the rainbow of colors with the setting sun and the contrast of the street lights. He wasn’t sure exactly how he wanted Bokuto to be positioned in each of the pieces, so he took pictures of every pose he could think of. It only made him more and more ready to paint.

There was something about seeing the light hit perfectly, or an expression on Bokuto’s face so real that Akaashi could almost see the colors coming together on the page. His hands itched for a brush, but he settled for twisting the rings on his fingers. At this point, if Bokuto wasn’t joining them to the bars, he would’ve ditched Oikawa and Suga to stay in his apartment for the rest of the night.

Bokuto moved next to him, stretching his arms above his head, and Akaashi looked up from the camera. Right. Bokuto. He’d been patiently working with Akaashi, which was difficult considering how hyper-focused he could get when working on a project. Each time Akaashi asked him to move, even if it was to redo the same picture only slightly differently, Bokuto complied, not complaining once.

“I hope the pictures turn out alright,” Bokuto yawned, dropping his arms to his side. “Are you going to show them to me when you’re done?”

Akaashi wasn’t sure if he was referring to the final paintings or the photos, so he just shrugged. “We’ll see. First I have to actually finish them, then we can talk about sharing them.”

“I can’t wait!”

Of course he would assume they’d be good enough to share. Akaashi rolled his eyes, smiling slightly. “Let’s go, Bokuto-san, it’s getting late. I’m sure Oikawa and Suga are waiting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhhh I hope you liked it! I'm insanely excited for the next chapter, it's probably my favorite so far, so I hope you're excited as well! As always, comment your thoughts, they absolutely make my day, and really help me make this the best it can be.
> 
> Next chapter will be out in a little over a week, which will probably keep happening now that I'm at school, but I promise it will be worth it :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi, Bokuto, Suga, and Oikawa meet Kuroo at the bar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is very late, sorry you all! enjoy the extra long chapter to make up for it. more notes at the end!

Akaashi was right. Oikawa and Suga were waiting—for exactly four minutes and twenty-three seconds if Oikawa was to be believed. “There’s no way you actually counted the exact seconds, Oikawa, give it up.”

Oikawa crossed his arms. “Yes I did, I had my phone out the whole time! How dare you doubt me.”

“You had your phone out because you were sending pictures to Iwaizumi, not because you were watching the clock,” Suga clarified, straightening his jacket as he walked next to Bokuto. “And what does it matter, it’s not like we’re going to miss anything, and Akaashi needed to do the work for his classes.”

“The photos turned out well, Oikawa, thank you for asking,” Akaashi said, raising an eyebrow to the man next to him.

Oikawa waved him off. “That’s no surprise, you’re as talented as you are heartless.”

Akaashi didn’t waste the energy to roll his eyes. There was no need. “Whatever, Oikawa.”

“I’m serious!” Oikawa admonished, but Akaashi ignored him. He believed it—Oikawa wasn’t fond of lying to make someone feel good about themselves. He respected talent, or what he thought talent to be. That was the only issue. Oikawa excelled at many areas in life, including being a supreme asshole, but he knew practically nothing about art, rendering his opinion essentially irrelevant.

Still, Akaashi couldn’t deny it was nice to be praised, even if the words sounded more and more hollow as they echoed through his skull. Something was better than nothing.

“I’m excited to see this bar of your friend’s,” Suga said, turning to Bokuto. “What is it called again? Me and Oikawa have been to a lot of bars, maybe we’ve already met him.”

Bokuto laughed. “It’s funny hearing you call it his bar, considering how hard he tries to act like runs the place. It’s called Dumpster Fire, but I swear it’s a lot nicer than it sounds.”

“What kind of bar openly calls themselves a dumpster fire?” Akaashi asked incredulously.

“Just the kind of bar that Kuroo would want to work at.”

“This makes me concerned to meet him. Maybe we should just go back home.”

“We’re not going back, Akaashi!” Sugawara reprimanded, looking over his shoulder to flash Akaashi a scalding look. “You know you lost fair and square, and do you really want to leave Bokuto with us?”

“Absolutely not,” Akaashi said immediately. His skin itched just thinking about what kinds of things they would get up to if he let them go off with Bokuto alone for the whole night.

“What did you say your friend’s name was, Bokuto?” Oikawa interrupted, his voice low.

“Kuroo,” Bokuto replied. “We met in high school and we’ve been friends ever since.”

Oikawa nodded. “Does that mean he’ll give us drinks on the house?”

“Don’t you even ask,” Akaashi warned, shooting Oikawa a glare. “I’ll kill you.”

“You don’t mean that!” 

Akaashi didn’t respond. 

“Akaashi! You’re a devil child.”

“We’re barely a year apart in age, Oikawa, I can’t be a child.”

“I’m concerned that you didn’t deny the devil part.”

“We’re here!” Bokuto said, interrupting their banter as he stopped outside a seemingly innocuous brick entrance, with glowing words above the entrance lighting up the dark wood double doors below. Akaashi chastised himself for getting distracted on the walk. He hadn’t allowed enough time to prepare, and now he couldn’t stop the thoughts streaming through his head as he stared up at the sign.

_Dumpster Fire? Really? Life really could not give you a more obvious foreshadowing, could it? Don’t be presumptuous and think that the universe is really setting this up for you, it wouldn’t give you a warning. What could go wrong? It’s only Bokuto meeting your friends, drinking together, meeting his friends, being surrounded by people, all those people, they’re going to be watching you, don’t act stupid, you can’t not act stupid can you, don’t let them see you, what are you wearing you idiot, why did you think that looked good enough to leave the house in next time don’t even think about it—_

“Akaashi?” Bokuto nudged him slightly. “Are you okay?”

Suga turned slightly, raising an eyebrow at Akaashi, but he shook his head, twisting his fingers. “Of course. Just admiring the outside of the bar before we go in.”

Bokuto tilted his head slightly, and Akaashi tensed for a moment before he spoke. “Trust me, this is nothing. It’s much better looking on the inside.”

Relaxing slightly, Akaashi nodded. “I’m not surprised.”

“Let’s go in already,” Sugawara said, stepping forward and yanking the door open while the others followed closely behind. The room was large, with tall tables set up on one half of the room, leaving space for a small open area, presumably for dancing. At the bar, bright lights behind a slight overhang illuminated the back wall that was lined with an assortment of bottles and glasses. 

That was about as much as Akaashi could see, the rest of the bar lost behind the crowd of people filling up the room. He never would have guessed from the outside, but the bar was clearly pretty popular. “Kuroo must be busy as one of the bartenders.”

“He usually is busy this time of night, but he’ll make time for us, don’t worry,” Bokuto promised, nearly bouncing with energy as he stepped ahead of the rest of them. “Come on, let’s get some drinks.”

Kuroo being too busy to talk was not something Akaashi was worried about, but again, he stayed silent. Tonight was for Bokuto, and he wasn’t going to be the one to ruin it. Akaashi trailed close behind as they weaved in and out of the crowd of people, squeezing up against the front of the bar. 

“I’ll be right back,” Oikawa shouted behind them, and Akaashi furrowed his eyebrows.

“Where are you going? Do you want company?”

Oikawa tossed him a look over his shoulder, his eyebrow raised. “I think I can manage using the restroom by myself, but thanks for your concern.” 

Without another word he strolled forward, ambling through the crowd like he didn’t have a care in the world. He probably didn’t. Abandoning Akaashi at a time of need was second nature to him.

Prick.

“Kuroo!” Despite the volume of the room, Bokuto’s voice echoed loudly next to Akaashi, and he swung his head down the length of the bar. At the same time, the tall bartender at the opposite side of the bar turned to face them, waving once before turning back to a customer. Akaashi didn’t get a good look at him until he finished pouring the drink and made his way over to their side of the bar.

Akaashi wondered if everyone Bokuto knew was tall and incredibly athletic, because his friend certainly matched the profile. He was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt, rolled up slightly around his forearms, which was enough to reveal his physique. Akaashi assumed having wild hair must also be a requirement for friendship with Bokuto, considering the unruly black mess that somehow suited him perfectly. From the outside, he didn’t look like he would be too intimidating if it weren’t for the smirk resting on his lips and the gleam in his eyes.

“Bro! I thought you were going to leave me sad and alone all night,” Kuroo drawled, leaning against the counter smirking. “What took you so long?”

“I told you we would be coming around now, what do you mean?” Bokuto was clearly trying to sound annoyed, but it was easily betrayed by the grin on his face and light in his voice. Raising a hand, he gestured to Akaashi, who quickly dropped his hands from the rings he was fiddling with. “This is Akaashi! You remember me telling you about him.”

“Of course I remember you telling me about him, Bokuto. For the past two weeks all your conversations have been Akaashi did this, and Akaashi said that. I knew it was him from the moment he stepped into the bar.”

To Akaashi’s surprise, Bokuto flushed slightly, rubbing the back of his neck slightly. “Oh whatever, Kuroo, it’s not like you haven’t done the same before.”

“I never said I hadn’t. All I meant was I’m excited to finally meet him.” Kuroo’s eyes glinted, and Akaashi was reminded of a cat, right before it pounced. “Nice to meet you, Akaashi. I hear you can paint.” Before Akaashi could say anything else, he continued. “And that you’re in college, have a great sense of humor, and enjoy curry almost as much as my friend here.”

Akaashi could feel his cheeks burning as he nodded. Did Bokuto really talk about him that much? Was that a good sign or did Kuroo already have a predisposition to dislike him from what he heard? “Nice to meet you too. I’ve heard a lot about you as well from Bokuto-san, you seem like a great guy.”

“You called me a great guy!” Kuroo said, turning to Bokuto with a grin. “Why don’t you say that to my face, huh? I think you should start a daily affirmation in telling me how much you love me.”

“I already say I love you every time I hang up on the phone!” Bokuto said indignantly. 

Kuroo waved him off. “I know, I know. And who’s this?”

“I’m Sugawara, Akaashi’s friend.” Suga’s voice came from behind Akaashi and he started slightly. He’d almost forgotten Suga was there, with the combination of nerves and the noise of the bar distracting him. “I’m glad Bokuto invited us here, it’s really nice. How long have you worked here?”

“Since my junior year of university. It’s got decent pay and I enjoy making drinks and talking to people, so it works for me. Speaking of,” Kuroo gestured to the rows of bottles behind him. “What drinks can I get for you all? I ought to be fired for making you wait this long without the joy of trying one of my drinks.”

Before Akaashi could say anything, Suga responded. “We’ll take a vodka shot each, and I’ll have a margarita as well. These two can get whatever else they want.”

Akaashi shot him a look, but Suga pointedly ignored him, smiling slightly as he stared at Kuroo. Suga was well aware that Akaashi wasn’t a fan of drinking, but he always coerced Akaashi into taking a few shots with him. Apparently, going out with Bokuto didn’t excuse him from that expectation.

He sighed. “I’ll take an old-fashioned with that.”

“And I can guess what you want, Bo.” Kuroo smirked. “The best drinks you’ll ever have, coming right up.”

Turning behind the bar to grab glasses, he pulled down a variety of bottles to make their drinks. As he worked, Bokuto leaned over to Akaashi, whispering in his ear. “They really are the best drinks. I always end up telling him that when I get drunk, but it always goes to his head, I can tell.”

“If he deserves the praise, I’ll tell him. It’s only fair,” Akaashi said, raising an eyebrow. A healthy dose of ego-boosting would be a great way for Akaashi to win Kuroo over. If he deserved it, that was even better.  
Before pouring the rest of their drinks, Kuroo lined up three shot glasses, topping each off with vodka. 

“Cheers!” Suga said gleefully, snatching his quickly and raising it in the air. Akaashi grabbed his own with less vigor, eyeing it with suspicion. It did nothing to prove its innocence.

Bokuto followed suit, raising his glass and grinning. “To new friends!”

“To new friends,” Suga and Akaashi echoed, Suga with significantly more enthusiasm. Inhaling deeply, Akaashi tilted his head back, pouring the liquid down his throat. He winced as it burned, heat trailing down to his chest. 

This was why he didn’t like drinking. Unlike most college students, Akaashi never frequented bars or parties, so he never accumulated the resistance to alcohol’s discomforts like most of his peers. Being tipsy was fun, sure, but what it took to get there was never worth it. 

From the way Suga grinned and Bokuto bounced on his toes, they didn’t feel the same. That was fine. Akaashi was determined to enjoy the night as much as he could. If that meant drinking, that was what he would do. 

“Here you go, gentleman. Old fashioned, margarita, and a Bokuto special.” Kuroo set the glasses on the table in front of them. “Go ahead.”

At his urging, Akaashi picked up his drink. His throat still burned slightly from the shot, but he didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of Kuroo, so he brought the drink to his lips, sipping it slightly. The liquid glided down his throat, smooth and much less painful than the shot from before, and Akaashi raised his eyebrows. 

“It’s good right,” Kuroo smirked, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the counter. “Bo told me you’re not the biggest drinker, so I tweaked it a bit. I can see that was the right choice.”

Usually, Akaashi wouldn't like being called out like that, but he was too impressed to care. “Yes, it’s really good. Thank you.”

“This is great!” Suga said, grinning, setting his already half-empty glass down. “Everyone underestimates what it takes to make a good margarita, but I swear, it’s the easiest thing to mess up.”

“It’s all about knowing your ratios,” Kuroo said. “It’s just like a science experiment, and I’ve always been a fan of science.”

“He’s a nerd,” Bokuto translated.

Kuroo narrowed his eyes. “Says the man who can name every species of owl known to man.”

“That’s for my job! I work with animals, I need to know these kinds of things.”

“You deal with cats and dogs, not wild birds.”

The two continued bickering, but their words reminded Akaashi of Oikawa. “Where do you think Oikawa went off to?”

Suga shrugged. “He probably got distracted talking to someone, or got a drink from one of the other tenders. You know how he is, if someone complimented his shoes, he’d spend the next thirty minutes regaleing them with tales of how he ended up choosing such a perfectly styled outfit. Don’t worry about it.”

That was true. Regardless, he frequented bars more often than even Suga, so the last thing Akaashi needed to do was worry about him. He’d turn up eventually to make fun of Akaashi drinking, as he always did. For now, all he needed to focus on was the people around him.

Sighing, Akaashi picked up his glass, eyeing the offending liquid for a moment, before taking a deep breath. If he was going to be here, he might as well do it right. Before he could reconsider, he lifted the glass to his lips, swiftly downing the remains. 

Suga whistled loudly, grinning as Akaashi set his glass down, nodding at Kuroo. 

“Akaashi! I thought you didn’t like to drink!” Bokuto looked shocked, and for a moment, Akaashi worried he thought Akaashi had lied before his mouth split into a grin. “But I guess I’ll have to keep up with you.”

He did the same and Suga laughed. “And you tell me that I drink too much, look at you.”

“Suga, I don’t just think that, you do always drink too much. Just because I drank one thing before doesn’t mean I’m worse, I still don’t like to drink.” Akaashi’s words had no effect on Suga, who quickly ordered another drink. 

Kuroo grinned. “Glad to see it. The more you drink, the more I get paid, so I’m all for it.”

***

Akaashi loved drinking. A gentle warmth flowed through his body, relaxing his muscles in a way he hadn’t felt in weeks. They had only been at the bar for a bit over an hour, but they had steadily ordered drinks since arriving. Once Akaashi became used to the flavor, which was a lot easier than usual with Kuroo’s mixing, he started to enjoy them more and more. 

“You wouldn’t believe how much of a baby Bo was in high school. I’m telling you, the way he would get after he lost a match, it was like someone kicked his puppy!” Kuroo said, laughing as he leaned against the counter. 

Despite his initial misgivings, Akaashi was already beginning to warm up to the other man. He was increasingly busy as more and more customers came in, but he stopped by every once in a while to join in on their conversation, or tell a story about Bokuto. He was funny, and Akaashi could tell why he was such good friends with Bokuto, considering the easy way they teased each other. Still, Akaashi was glad he hadn’t been left alone with him yet. The alcohol loosening his tongue would be a disaster paired against the other man’s quick wit.

“Don’t pretend you wouldn’t act the same!” Bokuto said, his voice loud throughout the room. Bokuto’s voice always commanded a room, but it seemed to increase exponentially with the volume of alcohol he consumed. Akaashi couldn’t tell if the others were annoyed, but he found it endearing. You could see the excitement radiating off him with everything he talked about, and his voice only matched it. “And we were the best, so we barely lost anyway.”

“Sure, sure, of course you would say that, cocky bastard,” he said with a grin. 

“Akaashi, come dance with me,” Suga whined, throwing an arm around Akaashi’s shoulder. “I’ve had enough of listening to these two argue, and I wanna move!”

Akaashi shifted on his feet, watching as Bokuto and Kuroo continued talking. As much as he wanted to spend more time hearing stories of high school Bokuto, Suga wasn’t going to let up until Akaashi agreed. Sighing, he shrugged. “Okay, I’ll go with you.”

Clapping, Suga jumped in the air before grabbing his arm, dragging him away from the bar and towards the large open area. Despite being fairly empty when they arrived, it was now packed with people, warm bodies surrounding him on all sides as Suga pulled him deeper into the crowd. He knew he should hate it, but the alcohol dulled his senses, quieting the usually incessant worries streaming through his head. 

Finally, Suga decided they had moved far enough into the crowd and stopped, spinning around to face Akaashi. Immediately he grinned, bouncing up and down and moving in time with the music. Akaashi took a deep breath. Dancing wasn’t something he did often, but he found himself caring less and less about what he looked like the more that he drank. He didn’t want to stand to the side by himself. He didn’t want to be worried about what everyone thought. 

He didn’t want to think.

He just wanted to have fun.

He started to move slowly. Bouncing up and down in time with the beat. Laughing as Suga spun in a circle, throwing his arms out dramatically. Swinging his arms up to move with him. Reaching out to grab Suga’s outstretched hands, dancing and laughing with each other. Before long, he was moving with abandon, letting the music flow through him until it was the only thing that mattered. He didn’t recognize what was playing, and it certainly wasn’t the greatest thing he’d ever heard, but it didn’t matter. 

“Dancing without me?” Oikawa’s voice came from behind Akaashi so he spun around, taking in the other man. He grinned stepping through the crowd until he was right next to both Akaashi and Suga. “You know that’s not fair.”

“You were the one who ran off as soon as we got here! Where have you been for the past hour?” Suga shouted, rolling his eyes at his roommate.  
Oikawa waved his hand in a flippant gesture. “I got distracted by a gentleman on the other side of the bar. He was attractive, and paying for my drinks, so I decided to let him entertain me for a bit. Did you miss me that much, dearest Suga?”

Reaching out, Oikawa attempted to pull Suga into a hug, but he dodged, shoving Akaashi in the way instead. That wouldn’t do. He was drunk, but not enough to be forced into Oikawa’s relentless grip. “Less hugging, more dancing.”

“This coming from you, Akaashi? You never dance with us,” Oikawa  
Akaashi closed his eyes, moving his body with the music. “I’m a changed man.”

Oikawa snorted. “You’re still a sarcastic asshole so I doubt that’s true, but you’ve definitely been drinking.”

“Less talking, more dancing!” Suga ordered, and for once Oikawa listened without arguing.

They danced. Akaashi wasn’t sure how long, but he didn’t really care. Each pound of the bass reverberated through his body, and the bright lights spinning through the otherwise poorly lit room made everything around him shimmer and glow. Suga grabbed his hands, shimmying and moving with Akaashi, drawing laughter out of him with every crazy move he tried to pull. Never one to be left out, Oikawa joined in, sliding in between them and alternating between grinding up against Suga and spinning Akaashi.

It was fun. As hard of a time as he gave both of them, they were his best friends. At this point, they were like family to him, and it just felt right to let loose and have fun with them. They didn’t care if he looked like a fool, or did something stupid—they were doing the same things. 

Akaashi didn’t know how late it was when Bokuto found them. Suga had just challenged Oikawa to a dance battle, and Akaashi was currently playing judge, bouncing in time to the beat as he watched intently. Suga leaned his head back, shaking his shoulders as he walked towards, Oikawa, while Akaashi laughed, barely able to catch his breath. At this point, they had created a small circle of open space for themselves but no one seemed to want to approach them to make them stop. Before Akaashi could share his ruling, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned quickly, relaxing when he saw Bokuto’s face.

“Why aren’t you dancing with them?” Bokuto asked, nodding towards the other two men who were now singing (or screaming, depending on who you asked) the lyrics to the song to each other. “It looks like fun.”

“I was, but now I’m the judge for the competition.”

“Who’s winning?”

Akaashi brought a hand to his chin, considering for a moment, before shaking his head. “They’re both terrible, I couldn’t possibly call either of them a winner.”

Bokuto laughed, tilting his head back, and Akaashi couldn’t stop himself from smiling. It was like that every time he made Bokuto laugh. It wasn’t hard, and he shouldn’t feel special, but he did. It felt like he had won, even if it wasn’t a competition. “You know Akaashi, you don’t act very different when you’re drunk. I wondered if I’d get to see you lose your composure, but it seems you’re as put together as always.”

Akaashi knew that wasn’t true. He was thin ice, riddled with lines and indents, one step from cracking open completely. Maybe it wouldn’t be a step that broke him, but a smile, or a laugh, or maybe even the feel of Bokuto’s hand that he still hadn’t moved from his shoulder, matching the heat Akaashi felt through his whole body. If Bokuto knew what was going on in Akaashi’s head, he wouldn’t think Akaashi still had his composure.

He was starting to think he wouldn't mind breaking if it was for Bokuto.

“You’re the one who’s put together. I thought you’d be bouncing off the walls by now, but you haven’t even challenged Oikawa to a dance off yet.”

“I wouldn’t do that!” Bokuto spoke an octave higher than usual, and Akaashi raised an eyebrow. “Okay fine, I was planning on doing that before I saw they were already going at it. I’ll have to change my plan.”

Bokuto dropped his hand from Akaashi’s shoulder, and he felt his heart drop at the loss of contact, before he grabbed Akaashi’s hands, pulling him towards the open space. He paused for a second, tilting his head, before grinning. “I love this song!”

Akaashi had never heard it before, but Bokuto began to dance, and it didn’t matter that Akaashi didn’t know the words. Bokuto was different—he didn’t have Oikawa’s easy grace or Suga’s wild moves—but he was filled with energy as he moved. From the way he closed his eyes, jumping up and down and moving Akaashi’s hands with him, he didn’t care about the people around him. He was the embodiment of joy, and he looked exactly how Akaashi felt.

They danced together, moving with the high energy of the music and bouncing in time with the beat as best as they could. Akaashi kept stopping to laugh or watch as Bokuto showed off a new move. 

“I swear, this one’s way better than the last one!” He would say, before trying to do a body roll or move his joints in time with the notes of the song. Despite his clear athleticism, each move was terrible, but Akaashi would never say that. He just laughed and clapped quickly before Bokuto pulled him back in with him. 

Akaashi tugged him closer, raising their hands above their heads to move to the beat before twirling Bokuto in a circle. He laughed, spinning with his arm outstretched and head tilted back. After a while, Oikawa joined them, dragging Suga behind him. 

After awhile Akaashi pulled away, unable to dampen his smile no matter how hard he tried. “I need to go grab some water, I’ll be right back.”

“I can come with you!” Bokuto said, and Suga began to boo, pointing his thumbs down.

As much as he wanted to be alone with Bokuto, Akaashi wasn’t going to drag him away from having fun with his friends. He wanted them to get along, and this would only aid in it. They’d love spending time with him without splitting attention with Akaashi the entire time.

For a moment, a flash of concern pooled in his stomach. What if Bokuto ended up liking Oikawa and Suga more, and wanted to stop spending time with Akaashi? A cruel part of him resented his friends for that, urging him to tear Bokuto away and keep him for himself, but Akaashi shoved it away. He couldn’t think like that. These were, quite honestly, the most important people in his life. A little bit of jealousy wasn’t worth jeopardizing that.

“I’ll be quick, it’s not an issue. Have fun with the hooligans while I’m gone.” He nodded lightly, before turning into the crowd. In their dancing, they moved closer towards the bar, so Akaashi only needed to bypass a few people before landing himself in front of the bar. That didn’t stop his heart from racing as he moved, apologizing softly with each person he accidentally brushed against.

Sighing, he leaned against an open seat at the bar. Kuroo was nowhere to be found, most likely helping another customer, so he turned, watching Bokuto and his friends. From where he stood, he could just make out Bokuto’s face as the people in front of him moved in and out of his line of sight. Luckily, his hair was spiked up enough that Akaashi could spot where they were even when they were out of view.

He was laughing, throwing his head back in that loud, uncaring way that Akaashi just couldn’t get enough of. Akaashi didn’t know a laugh could be so honest, but it was. It was true. Bokuto wasn’t the kind of person to put up a front of how he was supposed to act. No, Bokuto simply existed exactly how he was meant to, and there was no apologizing for that. 

“He’s taken quite a liking to you, you know.” Kuroo leaned against the bar behind him, a smirk dancing over his lips as Akaashi twisted around in surprise. “You were watching Bokuto, I presume.”

Akaashi’s cheeks burned. “All the bartenders were busy, I was just waiting for someone to come around.”

“Of course, my mistake.” 

From the still present smirk on his face, Kuroo didn’t believe him in the slightest, but Akaashi ignored it. “Could I get some water?”

Kuroo nodded. “One water, coming right up.”

He grabbed a disposable cup, walking towards the tap further down the bar. Taking in a deep breath, Akaashi held it for a moment, before releasing slowly. He was fine. Even if he wasn’t, the alcohol swam through his head, slowing down the usual influx of thoughts.

“Thank you,” Akaashi said, accepting the drink from Kuroo and gulping it down greedily. The combination of drinking and dancing left his mouth drier than he realized, and the water was a welcome relief. 

Kuroo chuckled at his urgency, resting two hands on the counter in front of him. “I meant what I said, about Bokuto liking you. You’re important to him.”

Akaashi nodded, unable to think of anything to say. What did that even mean? Of course Bokuto liked him, he wouldn’t be here if they weren’t. Or did Kuroo mean something else? Something more?

Taking his nod as an encouragement to speak again, Kuroo continued. “I wasn’t joking earlier, when I said he talks about you all the time. You know Bo, he’s the most talkative guy I know, but he brings you up in every conversation we have. I’ve known Bokuto for a long time, and he doesn’t get like that for just anyone.”

“We’re friends.”

Kuroo snorted. “Of course you are. That’s why he can’t stop talking about the funny thing you did, or how much he wants to see your art, and how great you are.”

“I don’t see what’s strange about that, I meant it.” Akaashi didn’t know what he was saying, didn’t believe it for a second, but he couldn’t stop the words from coming out of his mouth. “We’re just friends.”

For the first time since they met, a serious expression replaced the ever-present smirk resting on Kuroo’s face. “I don’t know you very well Akaashi, but I can tell you’re a smart guy. It doesn’t matter much if you lie to me, but don’t lie to yourself. Whatever you do, don’t lie to Bokuto.” 

Akaashi lifted his glass, draining it quickly. “You’re right, you don’t know me. Don’t make assumptions about me when it’s not your place.”

Dropping the glass in between Kuroo’s hands, he took a step towards the dance floor before Kuroo’s voice stopped him again.

“Just, be careful.” At the words, Akaasi turned to face him once again, starting at the sincerity in his expression. “Bo is my best friend, and I love him like family. I don’t want him to get hurt. I don’t want you to get hurt either. That would just end up backfiring on Bokuto, and I’ve put his pieces back together before. I don’t want to do it again.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Kuroo stared at him for a moment, and Akaashi didn’t move, meeting his eyes without flinching. Dropping his eyes, Kuroo grabbed the discarded cup, nodding to Akaashi and plastering a smile on his face. “Nothing, I’m just looking out for my bro. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t warn you not to hurt him. But don’t worry about it, go have fun with your friends.”

He didn’t leave room for any further questions, approaching a waiting customer at the other end of the bar. What was that? Kuroo smiled, laughing at what the woman said, any trace of his earlier words lost from his face, and Akaashi wondered what he meant. 

What did he need to be careful about? It wasn’t like he was doing anything wrong. Regardless, if there was anything Akaashi could do, it was over-analyze a situation. He’d figure it out eventually, probably after going through every possibility in his head and settling on the worst-case scenario. That usually prepared him for the truth, as painful as the process was.

He’d deal with it another night. The talk with Kuroo put a damper on his high spirits, but Akaashi wasn’t going to let it ruin his night completely. He was having fun. He was doing a very good job _not_ overthinking everything in his life, for once. It felt good, and Akaashi wasn’t going to lose it, no matter how hard it tried to slip away.

Shoving his questions down in his mind, Akaashi slid through the crowd of people, following the spikes of Bokuto’s silver hair that peeked over the crowd. He snorted. That certainly was a way to make sure he never got lost. 

As he approached his friends, he noticed an addition to their group, laughing along with his friends. He danced next to Sugawara, laughing at something the other man said, before noticing Akaashi approaching from behind Bokuto. He smiled, waving. “Akaashi! It’s good to see you.”

“Hello Daichi,” Akaashi replied, a small smile on his face. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“I didn’t either!” Suga said, a noise only amplified by the many drinks he’d happily accepted. 

Daichi shrugged. “I got off work early and Suga kept telling me about how much I was going to be missing out on by not coming, so I thought I’d show up to prove him wrong.”

“There’s a first time for everything,” Suga said, crossing his arms, and Bokuto laughed.

“I’m right all the time, Suga, you just don’t like to listen to me.”

“Upwards of ninety percent of the time when you’re right it’s because you agree with me.”

“That ten percent still exists, doesn’t it?”

“As much as I would love to listen to you lovebirds argue for the rest of the night,” Oikawa interrupted, “I would literally rather be anywhere else, so I’m going to do that.”

He turned without waiting for a response, strolling towards the back until he was out of sight. It took a while. Oikawa carried himself with such confidence that the people around him tended to move as if they could sense him coming, but eventually he was swallowed by the crowd.

Akaashi loved that about Oikawa. He wouldn’t admit it in his dying breath, but there was something admirable about how Oikawa handled any situation he was dealt. There was no need to wait for the other’s approval on him leaving because he didn’t care. He considered his actions, and once he decided on the correct course of action, he believed in it. Oikawa was an asshole, but at least he knew what he was doing.

Suga threw his head back in a laugh. “I’m sure he was happy to see you, Daichi, he just has an interesting way of showing it.”

“I’ll grow on him one day, you’ll see,” Daichi said, and Akaashi believed him. Ever since they started dating, Daichi had been a familiar presence at the apartment, and Akaashi grew to like him within a few weeks. Oikawa thought he was stealing his roommate away, an unforgivable crime. Still, it wasn’t like Daichi was going anywhere, so it was only a matter of time before Oikawa got over himself and forgave him.

The two began talking again, completely caught up in each other, and Akaashi sighed. Oikawa did have a point, but they were so good together Akaashi wasn’t bothered. Instead, he turned to Bokuto. “They’re probably going to be distracted for awhile, so it’ll just be you and me for a bit.”

“That’s okay,” Bokuto said, stepping closer. “I came here to spend time with you, ya know.”

Akaashi looked away, praying the heat on his face was just from alcohol. “I know, I just don’t want you to be missing out.”

“I promise, I’m not missing out at all.”

“I like Kuroo,” Akaashi said, changing the subject abruptly, but Bokuto didn’t seem bothered by it. That was good. The longer the night went on, the harder Akaashi was finding it to control himself, and not say something stupid. Saying things like that only made it worse, so Akaashi needed to change the subject as quickly as he could.

“I knew you would! He’s my best friend so I’m glad you guys get along.” Bokuto shrugged, looking away before landing his gaze back to Akaashi. “He already told you, but I’ve told him a lot about you, so I knew he was looking forward to meeting you too.”

“He seems very good at his job,”

Bokuto nodded. “He loves it. He plans on going to grad school for chemistry, but he’s been working here long enough that he makes good money for it. I think it’s cause he likes to pretend his drinks are science experiments, but he smacked me the last time I said that.”

“You have some smart friends, Bokuto.”

“No not friends, just him. He puts up with the rest of our craziness ‘cause the only thing he’s got is book smarts. Otherwise, he’s just like us.”

“And what are you all like?”

“Absolute idiots,” Bokuto said with a grin, and Akaashi couldn’t stop himself from smiling back.

“Of course you are,” he agreed, then looked around. The others that surrounded them were dancing excitedly, illuminated by the flashing lights from above, and Suga and Daichi were nowhere to be found. Akaashi assumed they must’ve snuck off to be alone—that was Suga’s specialty. “Do you want to go sit down somewhere?”

Akaashi hoped he agreed. Dancing was far more enjoyable than he expected, but with the others gone, he didn’t want to hog the dance floor for just his entertainment. It didn’t seem fair to take up space when it was already packed well over capacity, strangers crushing in on every side.

“Sure! I have to show you this new game I told you about yesterday, do you remember?” Bokuto grabbed Akaashi’s hand, pulling him behind him as he moved towards the bar seats. Akaashi remembered. How could he not, when Bokuto talked about it so excitedly? To be fair, he did that with every new interest he acquired, but that didn’t matter. Akaashi remembered all of them.

He also remembered every time Bokuto grabbed his hand, just as he was doing now. The time they got dinner for the first time it was a shock, a bolt of lightning surprising and exciting him. The time they went for coffee it was a warmth sent straight to his heart that had nothing to do with the cool morning air. The time they ran in the rain it was a line of laughter tying the two together. Now, it was excitement, Bokuto’s joy infiltrating into his own.

Or maybe that was just the alcohol talking. Akaashi couldn’t say.

They sat down back at the bar, squeezing into the very last seats furthest away from the majority of the commotion. It was darker, positioned just between the flashing lights of the dance floor and the brightness of the entrance. Luckily, they sat close enough that it wasn’t an issue. 

After showing Akaashi his game, he flipped the screen to his photos, holding up a picture of an owl. 

“I meant to text you a picture of this one, but I thought it would be more fun to see you react to it in person. Isn’t he cute!” Bokuto beamed, swiping through a few more photos, all capturing the owl in different angles.

“He’s a little far away, but I can tell he’s cute,” Akaashi said. “How do you know it’s a he, anyway?”

Bokuto crossed his arms. “I’m a trained veterinarian you know. I can tell these sorts of things through a series of checks.” He hesitated for a second before continuing. “But he was too far away to do any of those so I just guessed.”

“Just as I thought.”

“Hey! It was far away and I didn’t want to scare it away!”

“Where do you even see all these animals? I’ve never seen one like that,” Akaashi countered, squinting at the photo. It looked to be in a tree, but low enough to the ground that its face was visible in the photo. 

Bokuto shrugged. “I see them all the time when I go for runs in the morning or late at night. If it’s too late I try not to bother them because the flash of my camera might scare them, but I had to take a picture when I saw this one. Do you recognize it?”

Narrowing his eyes at the picture, Akaashi racked his brain of any similarities. For some reason, it reminded Akaashi of Bokuto a little bit, from its coloring to its wide eyes, but he didn’t think that was what Bokuto was looking for. “I’m not sure. Should I?”

“It looks like the same owl that I sent you a picture of right before our first date! I was running around the same place when I found this guy, so I think they might be the same one. Do you think that’s possible?”

“I’m sure it’s possible, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi agreed, staring at the picture intently. After a moment, Bokuto’s words processed and Akaashi jerked his head up, staring at Bokuto. “Wait, what do you mean our first date?”

Bokuto tilted his head, tapping his chin. “You know, when we went to get curry and I showed you the mural. It wasn’t that long ago, so I think it probably was the same one. What are the odds of that happening?”

Akaashi’s mouth was open, unable to speak in response to Bokuto’s nonchalant response. That didn’t make sense. Bokuto never once said they were going on a date. He didn’t ask him out or say he was interested, or anything. Akaashi thought he was the one who wanted things to be more, and Bokuto wanted them to be just friends. That’s the way it was. Akaashi had been driving himself _insane_ with the fact, and now… Now Akaashi didn’t know what it meant.

“You never said it was a date,” Akaashi muttered, unable to raise his voice above a whisper.

“It’s probably pretty low, but I believe it was fate. We were meant to meet, me and him, kind of like you and—”

“You never said it was a date,” Akaashi repeated, stronger this time as he grabbed Bokuto’s arm.

Bokuto looked up in shock, flickering his eyes between Akaashi’s hand on his arm and the expression on his face. Maybe he was squeezing too hard, but he didn’t care about that now, he just needed Bokuto to hear him, right away. Something must’ve registered on his face because Bokuto’s smile dropped into something more serious. “Well, I asked you out when we first met and I got your number. I wanted to go out with you, and you said yes. That sounds like a date to me.”

“You asked me to hang out! I thought you wanted to be friends, you never asked me out!” Akaashi’s voice was frantic to his own ears, but he couldn’t help it. He went over every conversation they’d ever had, wondering what he had missed, how he could have missed it, why he never thought to ask. That wasn’t true, he’d wanted to ask, wanted it to be real so badly he locked the thought away, imprisoning it in his mind so he didn’t dare let it out. Now it seemed foolish, a sign of his fear and not his desire to remain friends.

“I said you were gorgeous, and I wanted to spend time with you,” Bokuto said, shrugging his shoulders. “That’s cause I like you, Akaashi, I thought that was clear, and I thought you liked me too.”

Akaashi froze, his heart beating faster and faster until he was seconds from it racing out of his chest. _I like you, Akaashi._ Nothing mattered beyond those words, ringing in his ears. For the past weeks, ever since they met, Akaashi wanted nothing more than to hear those words on Bokuto’s lips. He’d imagined them, over and over in his head, no matter how ridiculous he knew he was being. _I like you, Akaashi._ He couldn’t help it. Not when Bokuto was the most beautiful boy he’d ever met, stuck in his mind on a loop ever since he ran into him.

“I’m sorry for not making that clearer, Akaashi. I should’ve realized you thought we were just friends. Maybe we are.” Bokuto’s voice wavered and he ducked his head at Akaashi’s silence. Akaashi didn’t move. “I understand if you don’t feel the same way, this was my fault.”

What were these past few weeks? Thinking Bokuto hated him, hiding in his own cowardice. It was the same as art, school, his parents. He hid and ran away, too afraid of failure to even reach for success. That was his signature move, tainting everything he did, but not this. Not anymore.

“Bokuto,” Akaashi said, eyes locked onto Bokuto’s. There was nothing but sincerity in his eyes, a look so full of longing that Akaashi couldn’t stop a gasp from escaping his lips. Before he could stop himself, Akaashi leaned forward, grabbing Bokuto’s to pull him into a kiss.

Maybe everyone in the bar froze and the music stopped playing, Akaashi would never know, not when the only thing he could focus on was Bokuto’s lips against his own. It was messy at first, Bokuto unresponsive from Akaashi’s abruptness, but it didn’t last long. They moved together, Bokuto eagerly melting into Akaashi’s advances, moving carefully, gently, as if Akaashi would break apart beneath him. 

It wasn’t enough, not nearly enough. Akaashi wasn’t glass, he was fire, heat spreading from Bokuto’s lips all the way to the rest of his body, and there wasn’t a part of him able to break. Tugging him harder by the shirt, Akaashi led Bokuto out of his seat, pulling him in between his legs. Bokuto nearly groaned, soft and quiet, and Akaashi felt the last part of him snap, craving Bokuto to be closer, closer, closer. Close enough that the weight of Bokuto’s body pressed against his, and Akaashi had to tilt his head up to reach his lips. They moved urgently now, both desperate for each other as if catching up on the weeks they’d stayed apart. 

When Bokuto opened his mouth, he tasted like honey, sweet against his tongue, and Akaashi knew he was going to die because he never understood why everyone was so obsessed with love and kissing but he now he got it, he understood, and he didn't know how he was supposed to live without it, not after this. Reaching out, Bokuto grabbed onto Akaashi’s waist, tugging him closer in a way that Akaashi was forced to spread his legs even wider to fit Bokuto’s body between them. 

Akaashi didn’t mind. He didn’t care about much, as long as he could keep kissing Bokuto as long as possible

He let go of Bokuto’s shirt, running his hands up through Bokuto’s spiky hair. It was soft, softer than he imagined, and he’d thought about touching it hundreds of times before. Wrapping his fingers in his hair, he tugged on his strands as if to lock Bokuto against him, keeping his mouth moving against his. He couldn’t stop. This time, Bokuto made a sound, a low noise in the back of his throat at the touch, and Akaashi decided it’s his new favorite noise. Hearing that sound was _everything_ , and he wanted to hear it again and again. 

Before he could try, Bokuto pulled away, breathing heavily as he pressed his forehead to Akaashi’s. Akaashi was the same, and they caught their breath for a moment, staring at each other from so close that Akaashi could count each of his eyelashes. 

_One, two, three, four-_

“Yes,” Akaashi said quietly, just loud enough to be heard between the two of them. That was all that mattered, all that he needed. “I like you too, Bokuto.”

A grin spread across Bokuto’s face, uncontrollable and wild, brighter than Akaashi had ever seen. “You finally called me just Bokuto.”

“I think after trying to kiss your face off, I’m allowed to,” Akaashi said dryly, but he couldn’t help but mirror the smile on Bokuto’s face. He didn’t even try to stop himself this time. At this point, he couldn’t tell if it was the alcohol or Bokuto, but he didn’t care. He let himself be happy. “Do you want to leave? I think I’m done with dancing for the night.”

“I agree.” Bokuto pulled away from Akaashi’s waist, and Akaashi nearly winced at the loss of contact between them. Before he could say anything, Bokuto moved again, interlocking their fingers and dragging Akaashi to the door.

“Don’t you want to say goodbye to Kuroo,” Akaashi said as he stumbled, tripping over his feet slightly.

Bokuto raised his eyes as he straightened. “I see Kuroo basically everyday. I’ll talk to him tomorrow. Do you want to say goodbye to your friends?”

“Nope,” Akaashi said. “I’ll send them a text, but I can assure Suga is distracted enough by Daichi that he wouldn’t notice, and Oikawa won’t care.”

“Perfect.” Squeezing his hand tightly, Bokuto led them out the door and into the night.

***

Kuroo watched Akaashi and his friend stumble out the door, practically hanging onto each other as it shut behind them. He wasn’t surprised Bokuto left without saying goodbye. He’d talked about Akaashi enough that Kuroo knew he wasn’t going to waste his chance once it finally came. That made sense and wasn’t the reason his gaze lingered on the dark oak of the door that blocked his friend from view.

From his peripheral vision, he noticed a man walking towards him, presumably to order a drink. He took a deep breath, preparing himself to put on his friendly bartender face that always earned him the best tips before he recognized him.

“I was wondering when you were going to talk to me,” Kuroo turned, facing the man as he approached the bar. “You’ve been ignoring me all night, and here I thought we were friends.”

“Just because I cry to you when I’m drunk doesn’t mean we’re friends,” Oikawa said, sighing as he flung himself into a stool at the bar. “Now pour me another drink, I’m exhausted.”

“You wound me. Anyway, aren’t you worried about your friends seeing us talk?”

“We both know Akaashi isn’t going to come back tonight, and Suga is distracted by his other half,” Oikawa drawled, nodding his head towards the back of the bar, where Daichi and Suga still stood dancing.

Kuroo shrugged, pulling out a glass from below the counter and pouring Oikawa a drink. They stopped talking after that, sharing each other’s company while caught up in their own thoughts. Occasionally, Kuroo left to serve another customer, but the night was winding down, with most of the patrons already drunk from their drinks earlier in the night. 

“Why do you keep looking at the door?” Oikawa raised an eyebrow, sipping on his drink. “I’m all for silence, but you usually can’t turn away an opportunity to give me shit. Tonight you’re quiet as a mouse.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” That was a lie and they both knew it, if Oikawa’s unwavering stare was any indicator. Kuroo sighed. “It’s nothing you need to worry about.”

“Now what kind of friend would I be if I let you wallow in silence. I saw you watching Bokuto and Akaashi. Jealous of the new lovebirds? Or something else, perhaps.”

Kuroo snorted, grabbing a rag from behind him to wipe down the counter. “Nothing ever gets by you, does it, Oikawa?”

“No it doesn’t, it’s one of many talents I possess.” Oikawa’s teasing lilt turned serious as he continued, leaning forward in his seat. “But if there’s something that you’re hiding and it ends up hurting Akaashi, both you and Bokuto are going to regret ever meeting him. That’s a promise.”

Sighing, Kuroo rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I get it Oikawa, no need to be so overprotective. Who knew you were such a mama bear?”

“I’m serious, Kuroo. I don’t know what you’re thinking, even I’m not a psychic, but whatever it is, you’re worried. That’s enough to make me say that.”

“Stop worrying, it’ll be fine. Bo’s a great guy and he cares about Akaashi a lot, that much is obvious. I’m just worrying myself over nothing.”

Oikawa searched his face for a moment, and Kuroo had to resist the urge to look away. Finally, he nodded, content with whatever he found. “Of course they’re adorable. It’s Akaashi, he learned everything from me.”

“I’m positive that isn’t true, you two are nothing alike,” Kuroo disagreed, pulling away from the bar, and walking to help another customer.

“That’s slander, you know! I can sue you for that,” Oikawa shouted behind him, but Kuroo didn’t turn, just waved a hand in acknowledgment. He was glad Oikawa believed him because the last thing he wanted to do was explain his concern. 

It was stupid and most likely unfounded, but Kuroo couldn’t help it. He analyzed every situation thrown at him, even more so when his best friend was involved. It made him suspicious and was most likely a misplaced concern. Still, that didn’t stop a feeling of dread from creeping over him as he gave one last glance to the closed door of the bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally the kiss!!!! This has been long awaited for me and I've really looked forward to it finally happening :)))) I've also been really excited about introducing Kuroo, I hope you guys like him. So much happened in this chapter so please leave a comment, I absolutely love your guys's thoughts. They really keep me motivated, and I love hearing your theories. Especially after this last chapter ;) I'm super excited to hear what you all think.
> 
> Also, important note about updating. This was obviously, very late considering my old one week schedule. I didn't forget about this story!! I'm just very busy with school these days but I PROMISE I'm going to finish this story, no matter how long it takes. I've already planned out most of what's going to happen, so I'm looking forward to you all hearing it.
> 
> Sorry for the long note, please leave a comment!! i love you all :)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it! I plan on updating at least weekly, although it may be a bit sooner for the first few chapters. Please leave a comment with your thoughts, or message me on tumblr, even tho I'm not super active at [storiesand-things](https://storiesand-things.tumblr.com)  
> thanks and see you next week :)


End file.
